Heavy is the head that wears the crown
by Ava626
Summary: Thorin arranges a marriages between himself and his One. But is she happy with it? And is she who she seems to be? I have thought of some Dwarven morals, casted them into a story about an arranged marriage, and complicated the matter a whole lot more by adding some problems and then changed the whole timeline of the story so it would fit more properly. Reviews are appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

Emma has known him almost all her life. He wasn't always there, or rather, he was rarely there, but he embodied hope to her.

Growing up, she had always been very unhappy. Her father, a high dwarven lord, had never gotten over the death of her mother, whom had died giving birth to her. He had never let her forget what she had done, and blatantly favoured her older brother, his heir, over her, and later her younger half-brother, neglecting and emotionally abusing her.

No one had ever told her how to spend her day, no one was interested enough to force her to study, but she was interested enough by herself. She sat in the back of the room when her brother had his lessons and asked her brother's fighting masters to teach her in the evenings. They had taken pity on her, and had let her train the bow with the guards. At first, everyone had laughed at her, the frail, small girl, without a beard. But then they saw what she could do, especially in boxing and bow-shooting, and they put some effort in her. She stayed petite, but her muscles grew, though she didn't become bulky but lean, and so did her mind, fueled by all the books she read.

The neglect and abuse from her father, and later on also from her stepmother and half-brother, was softened somewhat by the love she and her older brother had for eachother. He made sure she could follow all the lessons she wanted without their father knowing about it and cheered her up when she was feeling down, and she in her turn sometimes took the blame for his transgressions and adviced him in all sort of matters when he got more responsability in the ruling of the kingdom.

But when she was about the equivalent of a teenager, she did not think she could bear anymore. She withdrew in her shell, even contemplating suicide sometimes. Her father and his wife slowly tried to take as much as possible away from her. When she starting maturing and turned into a very pretty woman with the face of an angel, they forced her to wear avail that covered her hair and her face, except her eyes, so no one would she her beauty. But then Thorin started to visit her father's estate. Even though her father's lands were quite far from Erebor, even having a language of their own, they still belonged to Erebor, and as he was the prince of Erebor, it was his duty to visit all his grandfather's lords from time to time. But when he visited her father, he did not just inspect, he took her out riding, talked to her, somehow made her feel better without knowing it. He felt like an older brother to her at first. Off course he had seen the way her father treated her, and he was the one that told her to start keeping her head high, even if it was only a mask. He was the one that told her not to let anyone humiliate her, he was the one that told her to become more proud of herself and never show weakness to anyone.

She had listened to Thorin and, brought on by the years of abuse she had to suffer, she became closed, detached and proud. She did not let anyone get close, and everyone that offered her insult or, in her view, humiliated her, regretted it. She had not spoken to her father for years, ignoring his snarls and staying away from him as much as possible.

She adored Thorin for what he had done for her. She imagined herself and Thorin getting married one day. He would take her away from her father, away from her gloomy home, and he would make her completely happy. Despite the age difference and her being not much more than a young teenager, she knew he was her One, just as he knew she was his'. Nothing untoward happened of course, he knew she was too young yet, so marriage or even a declaration of love was out of the question, but they knew, as only dwarves know when they have found their other half.

But then Smaug came, and she did not see Thorin for decades. She heard stories of course, of how prince Thorin became Thorin Oakenshield, but she never heard anything from him. Untill the day the letter came. Thorin wrote to her father that he was going to take back Erebor and restore his kingdom. He wanted her father's help; his armies. With the downfall of Erebor, her father proclaimed his land a kingdom, ruled only by him, and no one had protested. But without the backing of Erebor, the downfall of her father came, and he had no standing army worth the name. He only had some guards to protect his estate and the small kingdom, no soldiers he could send to help Thorin.

She desperately wanted to leave their home, see something of the world, and see Thorin again, and as her father did not want to send his sons, she persuaded her brother to have her father send her instead. After much talking, her father caved to his firstborn, and she was allowed to go, even though she was a mere 60 years old, accompanied by a guard she knew and liked well, so it wouldn't look like her father only sent a woman, and instructed to keep her vail on at all times.

And there she was now, sitting on the edge of a small hobbits chair, the guard waiting outside. She had been the first one to arrive, and the welcome she got was a bit strange. The hobbit had not been expecting her, nor did he seem happy with her in his house, peering at her covered face intensely. But his attention was quickly turned away from her when other dwarves knocked at his door, eating his food, plundering his supplies. Everyone ate, like pigs, and when the dishes were cleaned and everyone was seated again, there was a sharp knock on the door, and the laughter stopped. It was Thorin. Her face started to glow a little bit, but she hid all her emotions, as she had done so well over the past decades. His attention went to the hobbit, who was supposed to be the company's burglar, although he knew nothing of it himself.

Then, after much talking and debate, both she and the hobbit were given a contract. It felt strange, her father had already written to Thorin with his consent, so why did she have to sign a contract? She quickly read through it. She was to do everything Thorin ordered, and no one would be responsible if anything happened to her, but if the company was to succeed, she would get a rather handsome reward. The contract clearly stated that she, and not her father would get it. She saw it as a way out, as means to escape her father. If the company would succeed, she would have enough funds to take care of herself; perhaps they would even let her stay in Erebor. So she signed without further ado.

The hobbit, although many tried, could not be persuaded. He did not want to leave his home, especially not to go dragon hunting with a bunch of rowdy dwarves led by the most grumpy dwarf he had ever laid eyes on. So it was decided that she was to take up the role as burglar, as she was a lot more light footed than the rest of the dwarves.

The next morning, everyone set of, starting what would become the journey of their lives.


	2. Prologue 2

And now she was riding away from him with anger anger flowing through her veins and growls on her lips.

 _What the hell went wrong?!_

The journey started of nice enough. She had learned that the aim was to steal the Arkenstone from Smaug, therewith forcing the other dwarven kings to rally beside Thorin in order to kill the beast. Thorin had some sort of map for it, that no one could read yet, but that did show a hidden door. She talked a lot with Fili and Kili, whom, as she learned, were Thorin's nephews. The other members of the company were also kind to her, taking better care of her then they did for themselves, probably since she is a woman. But Thorin did not pay much attention to her. Every once in a while she glanced at him, noticing that he was staring intensely at her, as if her were some kind of an insult to him. A useless thing her father sent instead of a man. She didn't get it; they had had great times together, and she had been sure he felt the same about her as she had about him, so why the cold shower? At fist, it made her doubt herself. Perhaps she had misread the signals. Perhaps he had never been anything more than a friend, or an acquintance.

She hid the feelings away, somewhere deep inside her where the rest of the rejection, humiliation and anger was hiding. Instead, she turned to his nephews, admiring their talent for making fun no matter the circumstances.

But then things went a little too far; two ponies were lost (not her horse, thank Mahal), and Fili and Kili sent her to retrieve them from the smelly trolls that had taken them to make a meal out of them. She did not exactly deliver, but if it had not been for her stalling, Gandalf's help would have come too late. But all ended up well, and she did not expect and repercussions. But then Thorin sent everyone else ahead, telling Fili, Kili and her to stay behind with him.

She heard Gandalf whispering to Thorin. "I would not include her in this, if I were you."

"This is my company and I shall do I as see fit." Thorin grunts back at Gandalf, but then his voice becomes softer. "I have promised her father I would take care of her as if she were my own child, and make sure she would not do anything stupid."

Gandalf looks at him as if he wants to say something else, but then joins the others who are already going ahead.

"You three were normally not supposed to come on this journey; you are all too young, especially you." He started, pointing to her. "But I have warned you, no exceptions will be made regading the consequences for actions because of your age. And you three have thoroughly fucked up."

"But uncle.." Kili started.

"NO! We could all have died! You have endangered our quest, endagered our lives!"

Emma looked at him darkly, unable to hold her tongue.

"You! You are the one responsable! You are supposed to take all the decisions, and you should have had the surroundings controlled!" She smirked. "You're just a bad leader who is afraid to fail and now blames others for possible failures."

Fili and Kili look at her with wide eyes, while Thorin's face had slowly but steadily reddened with every word she said. When she finishes he sees her defiance and disdain in her eyes, and just as she was unable to hold her tongue, he is unable to stop himself from hitting her across her face. The moment his fingertips make contact with her veiled cheek he regrets his actions, and even more so when he sees her head swing to the side by the impact of the blow, and the way she straightens it again, her eyes squinted a bit and almost black with all-consuming anger

She balls her hands into fists, but does not say anything more. Instead, she walks through the woods to her guard.

**"We're leaving."**

**"My lady?"**

**"I said that we're leaving. He's an asshole."** She says, jerking her head towards Thorin.

She gets on her horse and takes the contract out of her pack. She looks at Thorin, who is looking at her with a pained expression on his face, and rips the contract in two and start riding away. She hears Thorin saying:

"Come on Emma, I'm—I'm!"

But she doesn't look at him, she just keeps riding, passing the others, who look at her with the same expression Thorin had. She doesn't care anymore about the possible reward, the freedom it could buy her or the rest of her life. She will not surrender her pride for any of it.

Thorin feels utterly wrangled. From the second he saw her in the hobbit's house he had been trying to keep his distance. He had underestimated the effect she would have on him when he agreed to her father sending her, and he was afraid she would be a major distraction. So he avoided speaking ot her, avoided looking into the eyes he had longed to see for so long, eben though he wanted nothing more than to talk with her, as they did before, and be close to her. But he could not keep himself from looking at her when he thought no one saw him. And then she left, because he could not control his frustration and had behaved terriby dishonourable. From thereon, he was in an even more foul mood than he was before.

Emma's journey goes unexpectedly well. There are no problems that her and her guard, who has not dared to ask what happened, can't handle. But at night she doubts herself, as she always does. She has given her word that she would help them, and she has really not done anything for them. Her part would only come once her have arrived in Erebor. She is supposed to steal the Arkenstone. And what is she going to do now? She can not go home with her head held high, even if her father is willing to take her back into his home. For nights she tosses and turns, untill the answer becomes clear: she will have to steal the stone anyway, perhaps even slaying the dragon in the process. If she is lucky, the dragon is asleep and she can just kill the nasty beast in his sleep.

Once arrived in Laketown, she sends her guard away, instructing him to say nothing about what happened. She doesn't mind about his protests, after all, there are only two possible outcomes: she will get the stone or she will die. If she dies, she is finally rid of the weight on her shoulders, and if she gets the stone, she will have fulfilled her part and her can go home where her brother will probably take care of her.


	3. Prologue 3

As she approaches Erebor, she remembers the splendor that it used to be. The guards in ceremonial armour, the flags, the merchant caravans. But now there is only ash and ruin and rumble and the overwhelming atmosphere that seems to breathe death. She does not waste time looking for a hidden door, as she has no clue where it might be and no key to open it. The only other way in is through the broken down front gate, and that is the way she takes. She has heard Thorin say that the Arkenstone has to be in the treasure room, so that is where she goes.

She sees it immediately, it shines bright amongst the thousands other pieces of gold, jewelry and what not, almost pulsating light to it's surroundings. She walks towards it, but she notices that the piles of gold begin to shift, and she starts to run. As she puts the Arkenstone in her pocket, thinking that this was so much easier than tought, she notices a rather large eye under the gold. An eye that blinks and looks at her. A dragon's eye. She starts to run to the nearest exit, the dragon screaching and screaming about theft and the people of Laketown and Thorin. She feels her leg hurting from something, but she doesn't stop. As she sees the main entrance again, she hears the dragon breaking through the walls and she knows she will have no chance out in the open. So she hides.

The dragon is stumping around, still screaching and screaming. Threatening to attack Laketown. But she doesn't care and doesn't come out of hiding. Finally, the dragon barges through the main entrance and flies of to Laketown. She sees the beast setting fire to the small city, and she can smell his revenge. But then he falls, and keeps falling to never get up again. She sighs, and as the adrenaline starts to get out of her blood, she starts to notice the horrible pain on her right leg. She looks at it, and notice there is a gash going as deep as the bone.

She puts the Arkenstone in the middle of the entrance hall on the floor, knowing the company will find it when they get there, puts on her cloak and stumbles out of Erebor, trying to climb up the mountain to try to find a safe place where she can take care of her leg. She sees a large tower, and climbs up the stairs. She is actually crying now; the pain is almost too much to bear. But she knows she has to take care of the wound, otherwise she will have to rely on someone else to take care of it for her, and she really doesn't want to rely on the dwarves that will be walking into Erebor soon. She puts some ointment on it, bandages it as well as she can and puts on a fresh pair of pants.

At dusk, she does indeed see the dwarves enter Erebor, and she falls asleep knowing she has done her job and kept her word.

The next morning she is awoken by footsteps in the tower, and quickly she hides in the little attick in the pointed roof of the tower, gritting her teeth so she doesn't scream out in pain. But a little later she sees it was well worth it; orcs have taken up residence in the tower. She starts to panic; how will she ever get out of here?!

The next two days she stays in the attick, unable to leave. The little hunger and thirst she has, she can still with the bread and water from her pack. But on the third day, something interesting happens. She has already seen two people to the entrance of Erebor, which the darves had immediately fortified, but now an army of men and elves gathered at the gates, soon followed by an army of dwarves at the high end of the valley. They are about to clash, when the mountain starts rumbling, and an army of orcs starts marching to Erebor.

Men, dwarves and elves have rallied against the orcs, but strangely enough she doesn't see Thorin or the company coming out of Erebor. Instead, they remain at the barricades. Then, they leave for a while and when they return, they break the fortified entrance open and join their brothers in the fight.

She sees Thorin, Fili, Kili and Dwalin coming in her direction, Kili and Fili walking in to the guard tower. She wants to yell at them to leave, but she can do nothing without exposing herself. She hears sounds of a skirmish, and then Fili is dragged up the landing of the guard tower, just below her, by a giant, pale, orc. The orc starts screaming to Thorin and Dwalin, who have been looking intensely at the guard tower. He holds Fili by his hair and puts the blade that is somehow attached to his left arm to Fili's back.

"Here ends your filthy bloodline!" the orcs screams at Thorin, and she knows she has to act now. She jumps out of the attick, moaning in pain as she lands on her leg, and stabs the smaller orc that was with the pale one. The pale one now turns around, utterly shocked to see her.

"Don't you know orc, death comes to all of us and all bloodlines end. But yours first!" she says with an undertone of amusement in her voice

As he had not let go of Fili yet, it is easy to stab the orc in his belly, the soft flesh quickly giving in to her sharp blade. For good measures she also stabs his heart, and he falls to his knees, causing Fili to almost be pushed over the edge of the guard tower. She tries to grab him, but only succeeds to get hold of his hair and part of his collar. For a moment she struggles, unable to put enough weight on her leg to pull Fili up, anxiously watched by Thorin, Kili and Dwalin. But then Fili's foot finds bearing, and in a joint effort he gets on the landing again.

She wastes no time in regaining her breath or talking to Fili, as the only thing she wants is to get out of here before she will have to face Thorin. Unfortunately for her, the pale one wasn't the only orc in the guard tower, and many are running up the stairs, including one as big as the pale one. She has the advantage of standing higher than them, but soon she realises that she will not be able to prevail. But then Fili comes to stand next to her and she sees Thorin, Dwalin and Kili attacking the orcs at the bottom of the stairs. After what feels like hours, there is nothing left between Thorin and Emma than dead orcs. She is panting, leaning with her hands on her knees, and Thorin is walking over to her. Well, trying to climb over orc corpses to reach her, to be more precise. She watches his exertions with growing horror, and before he can reach her, she half runs, half slides down the stairs, ducking under his arm and almost knocking over Dwalin. She keeps running untill she finds her horse, jumps on and presses her heels in it's flanks. As the animal runs past the battle field, she sees the death, gore, pain and hopelesness, but also the Rivendell elves that have come and aid the already present armies, and somehow she feels like she can breathe again.

The feeling freedom does not last long however, as she starts to notice the pain in her leg ever more. After two hours, she is not able to go on and she stops and stumbles into some bushes. She desperantly wants to sleep, forget about Thorin, forget about her leg, but she knows it is too dangerous. So she just slumbers a bit, trying not to feel the pain, the cold or her rumbling stomach. As she is quietly cursing herself for forgetting her pack and her cloak, she hears someone discretey scraping their throat. She jumps up, sword in hand, but she doesn't see anyone. Untill Thorin comes out from behind a three.

"You really shouldn't be traveling alone, you know. Who knows what may roam these lands."

"Like you? What are you doing here?!"

"I am here to invite you back to Erebor. Did you really want to run off without getting any of the honour, or your reward for that matter?"

"I have kept to the terms of the contract. If you wish you can send me my reward, or you don't, I don't care either way. But what you don't do, is talk to me, or follow me, or ever try to contact me."

She glances over him from his face to his toes and back up with a look full of contempt and gets back on her horse, leaving Thorin to stand there, again.


	4. prologue 4

The next day, she arrives at her father's estate

She did not exactly expect a welcome home party, but the only thing she gets is her father seemingly looking disapponted that she is still alive. She shrugs her shoulders and walks to the infirmery, asking the healers to look at her leg. As they take of the bandages, she sees the skin around the gash is turning to an agressive red, and the healer merely running water over the gash makes her gasp out in pain. Stitching up the wound almost makes her fainth.

Two months pass, in which she slowly starts to feel better again, though not well enough to start training. After a year, she is finally able to do so again, relieved that she can go back to her normal routine.

"My lord, it is good to see you after all this time."

"And you my king, I am glad you have reclaimed Erebor in one piece."

"As am I."

"Unfortunately, my daughter was not so lucky. As you probably know she was badly injured in the battle against the orcs and still has trouble walking."

"I am aware of her injury and hope she will soon feel well again."

"Thank you, my king. I was informed you wish to speak to me of stengthening the ties and trades between Erebor and my kingdom. Shall we sit and dine together?"

"Very well."

When they are sitting at the large wooden table, they eat in silence for a while, but then Thorin takes a gulp of wine and scrapes his throat.

"Ahum. It is true I wish the ties between Erebor and your kingdom to be stronger. I would therefore like to propose a marriage between your daughter and an Erebor royal."

"Right, and which royal would this be?" Her father asks, a little breathless at the no doubt advantageous proposal.

"I would hate to force her into a marriage she does not desire, so I would suggest she comes to live in Erebor for a while and then decides to whom she would like to marry."

"This is most generous of you, my king, and I shall gladly take the offer. I shall send for my daughter to inform her."

She has been watching them talk from the shadows, and desperation grows in her heart as she hears that her father has agreed to send her to Erebor and marry Thorin or one of his nephews. She runs back to her rooms, hoping no one sees her in the corridors. As she closes the door, it immediately swings back open and a maid enters.

"My lady, your presence is requested in the dining room."

She nods, puts on her vail and follows her, trying to keep the emotion from showing on the little part of her vail that is visible.

"Daughter, the king has come to visit us with a proposal for marriage for you."

She only nods at Thorin, looking just above his eyes with a dark expression on her face."

"He has told me he wants your hand in marriage for one of the Erebor royals, and I have agreed."

Again she nods, her face going even darker.

"You will live in Erebor for a week and then decide which royal you would prefer to marry."

She says nor does anything.

"Well come on then, thank him for this honour."

She bows. "Thank you my king." hoping he notices the subtle sarcasm.

Her father does not notice anything however, and he sends her back to her rooms.

"Go on now and let us handle the details dear, I will tell you later."

Three hours later her father walks into her room.

"Well, it seems I have finally found a use for you. You are to leave for Erebor tomorrow. Start packing your belongings."

She only nods and start collecting her things with the help of her three handmaidens.

The next morning, she is sitting in a carriage that Thorin has sent, accompanied by her handmaidens and one of the boxing trainers, Jeron, who has agreed to come with her so she can resume her training in Erebor, all being paid for by he brother Melo, whom can not come with her himself. A day later, her destination is visible on the horizon. As the carriage stops at the main entrance of Erebor, she looks around her. It is not the splendor it has once been, but it would appear that the dwarves have been working incredibly hard to restore Erebor, as it is almost back to it's former glory.

"Do you like it?"

She is startled when Thorin speaks to her through the window of the carriage. She just shrugs her shoulders and gets out of the carriage without taking his held out hand.

"Shall I show her to your rooms or would you like to see the others first?"

She shrugs her shoulders again, intentionally not looking at him.

"Your rooms it is then."

He leads her through some corridors and she feel his piercing look at her.

"How is your leg?" he asks as he stops in front a door that leads to her rooms.

"Fine." she says, and she enters the rooms, closing the door in front of him.


	5. 5 Into the mountain

"xxx" Khuzdul

~"xxx"~ Sindarin

**"xxx"** Emma's language

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She is soon joined by her handmaidens, and together they walk through the rooms. Emma is happy to see that her rooms have a balcony, so she can at least get some fresh air and daylight. As she stands on it, her maidens start to organize her luggage and put everything in the wardrobe. There is a soft knock on the door, and one of them walks into the antechamber and opens it.

"Fili, at your service." Thorin's oldest nephew and heir says with a bow.

"Yes?"

"I am sorry to disturb, but I have heard Emma has arrived, and I was wondering if she has a moment."

"Please wait here."

Jalila, the handmaiden, walks onto the balcony.

**"Emma, prince Fili is here and he wants to talk to you. Should I let him in?"**

Emma looks up from her ponderings. **"Eeehm, yes, let him in."**

A few moment later, Fil walks onto the balcony and hugs her tightly. "Mahal, it really is you! You have no idea how happy I am to see you! I have been waiting to thank you ever since the battle!"

"There really is no need to thank me, I just did the duties I gave my word for."

Fili looks at the maidens, and asks. "Could we perhaps speak more privately?"

Emma nods at her maidens and they walk into the appartment, closing the balcony doors behind them.

"Thorin already told me you were not too happy to be here. Are you still upset with him, or us?"

"I have no idea what you speak of, Fili."

He looks at her, taxating. "Really, no idea?"

"None whatsoever. Now, if you would excuse me, I would like to freshen up after traveling."

"Alright then, but I expect to see you at dinner later, Thorin will hold it in your honor. He will come by to invite you himself, of course."

"How lovely." Emma says with a tone that betrays she would much rather be dinner for a pack of orcs than attend the dinner hosted by Thorin for her.

Fili kisses her hand with a little smirk on his face, and then leaves. But the peace is short lived, as there is another knock on the door. Jalila opens it again.

"Kili, at your service." Kili says with a bow and a smile on his face.

"Yes?'

"I have been informed that the delightfull Emma is here, I and really need to speak with her."

Jalila crooks an eyebrow, but then walks into the bedroom.

**"Prince Kili is here, should I let him in?"**

**"Fine, put him in the sitting room , I will be right out, I have no vail on."**

Mina and Shana quicly put her vail on, and she walks to the sitting room, only to be jumped by Kili who gives her an even tighter hug than his brother had done. "I am so happy you are here!" he almost yells out, beaming with exitement.

She can not help but laugh as she sees his enthusiasm.

"Shall I show you around Erebor?" he exitedly asks.

"Maybe later, if you don't mind. I have to unpack and wish to freshen up."

He tilts his head a bit. "So it is true, you actually are upset with us?"

"I don't know who gave you that idea, but I have no reason to be upset with you." She says a bit sarcastically

He sighs in relief, completely missing her sarcasm. "That is great to hear. Will I see you at dinner?"

"I have already been informed that I am expected to there, so I guess you will."

"Great!" he says with a big smile, and then walks, or better yet, runs out.

Emma walks back to the bedroom and tells her maids she will take a short nap. They leave the room, but just as she is starting to slumber, Jalila puts her heas around the door.

**"Sorry to disturb you, but the king is here."**

Emma clenches her jaw. **"Am I not to get a moment of peace?!"**

But she gets up and walks to the antechamber. "Your highness." she says with a small bow.

"May I ask you to call me Thorin?"

"I am sure that won't be necessary, your highness." She replies.

He looks a bit taken back with her cold answer, but doesn't say anything about it, inviting her for the dinner later that day instead.

"I would very much like it you could come, and so would Fili and Kili." He adds.

"As you are the king and I am here at your bidding, whatever pleases you, pleases me." She says in a bored voice.

"Emma, could we-could we talk?" he asks carefully.

"If that is you wish, your highness."

"In the sitting room?"

"Where ever you like, your highness."

They sit down on the sofas, and Thorin looks at her for a moment.

"Tell me what I can do so you will not be upset anymore."

She smirks. "I am not in the least bit upset."

"You have no ide how sorry I am, Emma, but I don't know what to do to make it up to you. Please tell how to make you not be upset with me." He says softly

"I admit that I might be a little prickly about being dragged here and forced to marry, but as it is your wish, your highness, what else can I do but oblige?"

She gets up. "Now, if you would excuse me, I have to get ready for a dinner I am expected to attend."

She bows and starts to walk to her bedroom.

"I thought you would be happy about it!" he says softly, almost whispering.

She looks back with a crooked eyebrow.

"I thought you would be happy to be away from your father, and I—I thought you would have gotten over your anger and remembered what you felt for me before."

He looks at her, but as he can only see her eyes, he can not really read her expression.

"Perhaps you should just keep to ruling your kingdom then, as meddling in other people's lives does not seem to be your forte, your highness." She says haughtily before she leaves the room.

When she sits in front of her mirror to take her vail of, she hears the doors to her appartment slam shut, and her handmaidens walk into the room, also having heard the king leave.

**"Emma! You are supposed to be nice! You were already short to Fili and Kili, and now you have really insulted the king! Don't you remember you have to marry one of them?"**

Emma looks up and sees her maidens looking at her with a mix of annoyance and worry on their faces.

She sighs. **"They just annoy me to a point I can not restrain myself anymore."**

**"But why? What the hell happened on that journey?"**

**"Nothing. Just leave it alone and help me get dressed."**

They put her in in a dress and start on her hair. It is tangled and dry from traveling, so it takes quite a while to get it in order again. Then, they move on to her make-up, accentuating her eyes, as they are the only things visible. When they are done, they put on her vail and take a look at their work.

A mere five minutes later, there is a knock on the door again. Jalila opens it, and sees Fili and Kili.

"We have come to escort Emma to the dinner."

"I shall see if the princess is ready, a moment please."

**"Emma, -"**

**"I heard it Jalila, they are here, what a surprise…. Do you think I could perhaps say I am sick? Or fainth on the way to the dinner?"**

**"I think it would be considered bad manners to not attend a dinner held in your name."** Jalila says dryly. **"Now go, you will have to marry one of them, you can use tonight to see which one would suit you best."**

**"That would be the one that leaves me alone."**

Jalila laughs and starts pushing Emma out of the bedroom and into the antechamber, but quickly stops as she sees the princes looking at them.

They try to hide their smiles, but aren't very succesful. "Glad to see you're feeling better, shall we?" Fili says.

Jalila sends her a warning look, and Emma walks out of the door. "Soooo, are you ready to meet the nobles of Erebor?" Kili asks.

"Ugh." Emma says.

"We could just run off and say we were abducted or something." Kili says.

"Sure, abduct me to a tavern or something and I will convincingly back your story." Emma actually has to laugh a bit as she sees Fili and Kili looking at eachother as if they are weighing the possibility of getting away with it.

But then they shake their heads. "Nah, we won't be able to pull it off now, but soon!?"

"Perhaps."

"Now then, let us escort you into the hall." They both offer their arm, and she takes them both.

Fili and Kili share another look, this time unnoticed by Emma, when they see the look on their uncles face as they walk in with Emma. Thorin frowns so deep that his eyebrows almost become one and he clenches his jaw tightly, his eyes turning dark. Fili sets next to him, Emma besides him and Kili next to her. The servants put the first course on the table, and all start eating, talking and drinking.

"So Emma, shall we show you Erebor tomorrow after breakfast?" Fili asks her.

"I can't in the morning, but the afternoon would be fine."

"What plans do you have for the morning then?" Kili asks in a suggestive tone, noticing that Thorin almost spits out his food as he hears the question.

"I run in the morning. And then I have boxing practice, and then I will probably ride for a bit."

"You do all that in the morning?!" Fili gasps

"No, before I used to do it in the evening, but as I have no more lessons now, I might as well do it first thing."

"Do you have a pony here?" Thorin asks in his deep voice.

"What would I need a pony for, your highness?"

"Well, eeeh, you said you want to go riding tomorrow." He says with a little doubt in his voice.

"And why would I need a pony to go riding, your highness?"

Fili and Kili are now biting their lip to refrain from laughing, as their uncle is really looking quite strange.

"Eeeh, what else would you go riding on?"

"A horse, your highness." She says haughtily

"Right, I see. I shall have the stablemaster get you a horse."

"No need, your highness, I have my own horse." She says.

Thorin stares at his plate, not knowing what to say now.

"Shall we go with you, riding I mean?" Fili says

"If you want to, but I am used to riding by myself, so do not feel obligated." Emma says, knowing they are not really good riders.

"Not at all, it will be fun, like before!" Kili exclaims.

She shrugs. "Alright, tomorrow then, two hours after sunrise."

The main course is served, and Fili, Kili and Emma eat while chit chatting. They do not notice Thorin observing them, mostly looking at Emma. When they have finished their dessert, Emma announces that she will retire.

"Come on, stay a while longer." Kili tries, but she shakes her head.

"I am quite tired and have to get up early again. I will see you tomorrow." She bows to Thorin, a hint of disdain on her face.

The next morning she gets up, quickly washes and is helped by a yawning Mina with her vail, this time a tighter one, so she can work out easier. She walks through the still dark antechamber and opens the door of the appartment, only to yelp out when she sees Thorin standing there, accompanied by Dwalin.

"Goodmorning Emma." He says.

She looks at them. They both look rather sleepy, eyes a bit red, but are staring at her.

"Good morning your highness, Dwalin. To what do I owe this-pleasure?" she says coldly.

"As you plan on taking a run, I thought it would be wise so send someone with you, to make sure you are safe and do not get lost." Thorin answers.

"Right, that thinking again. Well, follow along then, your highness, Dwalin."

And without further ado, she walks to the main entrance. When she is out of Erebor, she takes a small mountain path she remembered from a long time ago, and starts running up the mountain. Five minutes later she hears strange noises behind her, and as she looks back, she sees Dwalin doubled over, his hands on his knee, panting heavily.

"Emma…a…moment."

She can't help but laugh a bit. "Dwalin, I don't think a moment will be enough. Why don't you just wait here untill I return."

"….orders…"

"I think you should talk about those orders. Are you really going to do this every morning?"

"I'll…wait…here."

"Great."

She continues running up the mountain, fighting against the ache in the muscles in her leg, and pauses a moment as she reaches the look-out plateau the path leads to. Any other morning she would have taken the time to enjoy the view, but she knows she has a full day, so she returns and starts the descend. When nearly reaching the end of the path, she sees Dwalin sitting and waiting for her.

"I will talk to Thorin about this, although I don't think he'll be able to find anyone that can keep up with you."

"You do that, Dwalin." She says with a smile, and together they run to the pratice hall for her boxing training.

Jeron is already waiting for her, and has taken one of the pits and put all the boxing gear in it. "There you are, Emma, had a good run?"

Emma sees that Dwalin is still panting, even though he is sitting down. "It was alright. A bit short, but alright." She says with a small smirk towards Dwalin.

She averts her head from the other people training, and Jeron puts her teethprotection in and her headprotection on. Lastly, he puts the heavy leather gloves on her hands, and then they start her training. An hour later, they are both panting, leaning with their hands on their knees.

"Do you have some frustrations to work through, Emma?" he asks with a small smile.

"Many."

"Anything in particular?"

"I have been sent here to either marry a power-crazed gruff or his irresponsable, moronic nephews, what do you think?"

"I think you are perfectly capable of making the right decision. Now go riding with the morons!' he says, and gives her a wink.

She sighs and truds to the stables. There, she finds Fili and Kili, looking quite sleepy, with red faces and watery eyes.

"Mornin'" they groan in uniscense."

"Gentlemen, are you ready or would another time perhaps be better?" Emma says sarcastically.

"No, now is just fine. The stablemaster is getting our ponies and your horse." Fili says.

"How do you ride a horse anyway?" Kili asks, rubbing his eyes.

"It is a small horse and I have a special saddle."

The stablemaster and his assistants lead the horse and the ponies out of the stables, and Emma jumps on the horse while Fili and Kili crawl on their ponies with visible effort. They steer their animals to the front of Erebor, and Emma urges her horse to galop, going in the direction of Dale. But when she looks back 10 minutes later, she sees that Fili and Kili are quite far behind, so she turns her horse around and goes back, steering her horse with just her legs.

"Come on, you can't be this slow!"

"No, but our ponies are." Kili protests

"Hey Emma, isn't that your father's sygil?" Fili asks, pointing at a slowly nearing.

Emma jerks her head and looks in the direction he is pointing at. "Shit!" she curses violently. "We have to go back!"

Fili and Kili look at her strangely, but say nothing as they follow her, urging their ponies to go as fast as possible. When they arrive in the stables and hand the reigns back to the stablemaster, Kili asks:

"Is something wrong, Emma?"

"That wasn't just the sygil of my family, that would have meant it was either my father or my brother. It was our sygil with an extra arrow, meaning it is the second line, my stepmother or my half-brother."

"And that is a bad thing?"

"Lets just say that compared to Sindor, your uncle is a very lovable teddybear."

"I actually think you find uncle lovable, you just don't want to admit it." Kili says, unusually serious.

"You pretend to hate him for what he did, but he has told us the two of you knew eachtother before the quest, and I think you have loved him ever since." Fili adds.

"And I think you are either sleep deprived or still drunk from last night. Now excuse me, I have a half-brother to avoid." Emma says indignantly and she walks away, the heirs of Erebor looking at her as she walks away, silently snickering.


	6. 6 Unwanted attention

"xxx" Khuzdul

~"xxx"~ Sindarin

**"xxx"** Emma's language

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**"Shana, Jalila, Mina!"** Emma yells, and her handmaidens rush into her bedroom.

**"Sindor is here, be sure to keep him away from me at all times, no matter what you have to do! You know he annoys me more than everything that roams this earth, and I really don't feel like having a public fight!"**

**"He was already here and has requested that you join him for breakfast."** Mina hesitantly admits.

Emma closes her eyes and sighs. **"Get me dressed then."** She says with a sour face.

Half an hour later Emma walks into the dining hall, accompanied by Jalila, and sits next to Sindor.

**"You wanted to talk."** She says haughtily

**"Sit down sister, and show some manners."**

She clenches her jaw and sits down, noticing that Thorin is looking at her.

**"What are you doing here, Sindor?"**

**"Father has sent me. The tables have turned, the choice is not yours to make anymore."**

**"Meaning?"**

**"Meaning that you don't get to choose whom you will marry, but that they decide who wants you."**

**"You can't do this!"** she hisses at him. **"Does Melo know about this?"**

**"He won't be able to save you this time, sister, he's on diplomatic mission, remember. Won't be back untill after your wedding."** Sindor says with a smug smile on his face.

**"I gather you have been sent to inform them of this?"**

**"I already told Thorin, he has agreed to make the decision withing five days. Just to satisfy my curiousity: did you already make a choice? I am dying to know which one you want."**

**"When will you leave?"**

**"The second the marriage contracts are signed."**

**"That would almost make it worth it."**

**"Go to your rooms sister, I will tell you when a decision has been made."**

She clenches her jaw again, her lip curling up slightly in anger though invisible to anyone, but gets up and walks to her rooms. But when she is leaving the dining hall, Thorin grabs her elbow. She looks up and sees he is walking next to her.

"Yes, your highness?"

"I have been informed by your brother that you would prefer to let me and my nephews decide."

"I hope it pleases you, your highness."

"I suspect it is not your decision at all."

She keeps walking, neither answering nor looking at him.

"I want you to know that it is still your decision. Just tell me when you know, and I will present it as my ruling."

"Do whatever you please, your highness, I am sure it will please me as well."

"Emma, I am trying to help you here!" he says, frustration dripping from his every word.

But she just slightly bows to him and continues enters her room.

For the next five days, Emma only leaves her rooms to train, taking her every meal by herself and not receiving visitors.

"I would like a word in private with the princess please. And don't mistake my sentence sounding like a question for it actually being a question."

"I shall see if she can receive you, your highness."

Jalila walks into Emma's bedroom. **" The king would like to speak to you in private, may I send him in?"**

**"No. Tell him I am not receiving visitors."**

**"He did not actually mean it as a question, he just put it like that to be polite, I guess."**

**"Fine, send him in then, but please put on my vail first. Shana, you stay here."**

When Emma's vail is properly put on, Jalila tells Thorin to enter the room.

"Emma." He says with a small bow.

"Your highness." She says with a nod. "Mina will stay here, she does not speak the common tongue. What may I do for you?"

"I am aware that you have not yet let me know whom you wish to marry, but I wish to disclose possible impediments to you. And today, I have gotten news that such an impediment may exist."

"Yes, your highness?"

"I used to have a, eeeh, consort, sort of speak. She has come to inform me that she is with child."

"And in which way should this concern me, your highness?" Emma says coldly

"Well, if we were to marry I would already have a child, one that is older than children we might have."

Emma shrugs her shoulders. "The child is a bastard, not unheard of. I still don't see how this would concern me, your highness."

"Please do not refer to my child as a bastard."

"I think that title describes the situation of the child perfectly. Even if she is your One, you would have to marry her quite soon to convince the court that the child is legitimate, and I doubt there is enough time for that, your highness."

"She is not my One and I shall not marry her, but I dislike the term 'bastard'".

"Then I shall find some other suitable title. Now, was that all, your highness?"

"No, I would like to talk to you about something else."

"What may that be, your highness?"

"Must you really keep calling me 'your highness'?" Thorin asks frustrated and irritated.

"I would feel most comfortable with us adressing eachother in a formal matter. But please, do tell me what you would like to talk about, your highness." Emma said in a way that would make sure there was little else she was less interested in than what Thorin wanted to say.

"Well, I was wondering if you already found your, eeh, One."

"My One? Yes, I daresay I have met him, but he is gone. Would that be all, your highness?"

"No, not really."You say he is gone, has he passed away?"

"No, your highness".

"Did he disappear then?"

"No, your highness."

"Then how can he be gone?"

"He just is. Now, would you like to pry into my private life more or may I go to my boxing training, your highness?"

"Would you permit me to accompany you?"

"If that is your wish, you may, you are the king. But if you would excuse me for a moment, I need to change, your highness."

"Most certainly, I shall wait in the antechamber."

And with a small bow, Thorin leaves the room and Jalila enters it.

**"What did he want?" Jalila and Mina ask.

**"He wanted to inform me that he will be having a bastard soon. And now he is coming to my boxing training with me, I have no idea why. This is all very annoying."**

**"My lady, please do excuse the question, but you always loved his highness. You even thought he was your One when you were younger. What has changed, why are you not telling him to marry you?" Jalila asks while she is helping Emma in her training clothes.

**"I did love him. But he did something unforgivable, and I believe my feelings to have changed."**

**"But feelings for a One can't change. Was he your One then?**

**"He was, but my feelings _can_ change. Now just put on a tighter vail and stop talking about this boring subject."**

Shana puts a tighter vail on Emma, allowing her to move freely during her training, and they walk to the antechamber. There, Thorin can only stare at the tight, and therewith revealing, clothes Emma is wearing, biting his lip before he composes himself again.

"My lady, if you are ready, shall we?" he says as he extends his arm to her.

"Yes, your highness." Emma says, walking out of the room without taking Thorin's arm.

Once arrived in the practice area, Emma sees that Sindor and Jeron are already waiting for her, the latter ready to train her. She turns her back to the other people and Jeron puts her teethprotection in her mouth and puts on her headprotection. When he has put on her gloves and puts on his own, they are ready to start. They begin with some slow attacks and blocks, after which they have a practice match, swinging real punches at eachother.

"The princess is quite good, isn't she?" Thorin whispers to Jalila, who is sitting next to him, although whispering was not really necessary as the others are sitting far enough away from them.

"She is, but Jeron would never use his full force on her; she simply isn't strong enough for that."

"And has she done much sword practice? I mean, I know she can wield a sword, but does she practice often with it"

"No, not really. I mean, she can use a sword properly, and defend herself, but she is much better with a bow."

"And why has she never trained with a sword?"

"I am not sure, your highness. I think she wanted to, but her father wasn't much of a supporter of the idea. He only let her train a little bit before she went on the journey with you."

Thorin just hums, an idea forming in his head.

"Your highness, may I speak confidential with you?"

Thorin looks at her a bit strange, surprised by such a forward question by a handmaiden. "You may."

"But will you promise to not tell anyone?"

"I will."

"Well, I eeeh, I.."

"Yes?" he says a bit unpatiently.

"I believe it is important for you to know that lady Emma is not as cold as she seems."

"And why would you tell me that?"

Jalila starts blushing. "Because I think, well, I think she wants to marry you, deep inside."

"Would she now?"

"But she will never say anything, and her half-brother will want an answer today, so I thought, perhaps…..as the week has almost passed….."

"I see what you mean. Has she asked you to tell me this?"

"No, your highness, and please don't tell her I told you this! She has said nothing at all about the subject, but we have been friends for a long time and I know what she feels."

"Thank you for telling me this, I shall take it under consideration."

Jalila just nods, relieved that she has told the king, but afraid he might mention it to Emma. But then the boxing match has ended and Thorin gets up.

"Lady Emma, I see you are quite accomplished at boxing. Would you like to improve your swordskills? Kili could practice with you right now."

Emma looks at her half-brother, but his face gives nothing away, so she answers: "I would, your highness."

"Then please come, or would you like to have a break first?"

"That won't be necessary, your highness."

Kili, having heard his uncles question, is standing in the next pit, a practice sword already in his hands. She walks into the pit and also takes a sword.

"Want to do some attack-defend moves?"

"Whatever you think is best."

As they start, Thorin sits closer, observing what Emma can do, but also looking at her well formed figure, which shows in her tight training clothes. His thoughts wander of to what her face may look like and how it may have changed over the years, a thought that has kept popping up in his head over the last days.

Emma and Kili have found a rhytm and keep going faster and swinging harder. It is obvious that Emma enjoys the training, untill she misses one of Kili's swings and he hits her in her ribs. Everyone clearly hears the 'crack' noise as he does, and they see Emma's eyes widening as she grips her side, the sudden movement causing a strand of her hair to fall out from under her vail and cascading over her back.

"Mahal! Are you alright?" Kili asks Emma while everyone else runs into the pit.

"I am fine, I just need to breath a bit. I will be fine in a minute."

**"You will go to your rooms right now."** Sindor barks at her.

She glances at him angrily, and then leaves the pit, her hands still clutching at her side. Thorin may not have understood what Sindor said, but he gets that she has to leave.

"Please, let me escort you." He says to Emma, while taking her arm to support her. The others also follow, except for Kili, who is getting a healer.

Once arrived in her rooms, Sindor pulls Emma to her bedroom, barking at the handmaidens to leave. They stand in the antechamber, together with Thorin and Jeron, and they hear Sindor scream.

**"What the hell was that?! You know father does not wat you to train with swords!"**

**"I don't think that is any of his business anymore."**

**"No? And you showing your hair to everyone is also not his business?"**

**"It was an accident, Sindor. Let it go and let me get changed and look at my ribs."** Emma sighs.

 _In the meantime, Thorin has asked Jalila to translate for him. As she can not ask for Emma's approval or disproval to do so, she hesitantly does._

 _"_ _He is upset that she trained with swords, and that her hair showed."_

**"Accident or not, you do not show your hair. You look like a whore!" Sindor screams.

**"A whore? Just because your mother was one before she fucked her way into a marriage with my father, does not mean I have such low morals!"** Emma now screams back, extremely frustrated by the pain and her brother unreasonableness.

 _"_ _And what do they say now?" Thorin asks Jalila_

 _"_ _Well, eeeeh.."_

But before she can translate for him, they hear the sound of a smack, and Jalila's eyes widen. Thorin runs into the bedroom before Jalila can stop him, and he sees Emma standing there, holding her cheek with her hand and with very dark eyes. Sindor is looking at her with smugness in his eyes, seemingly enjoying the whole scene. Thorin quickly stands between them trying to prevent things from escalating further. Emma wants to strike at Sindor, who has already backed away from her, but Thorin gently holds her shoulders, trying to make her look at him instead of at her half-brother.

**"Can't take hearing it, HALF-brother? Can't take hearing that your mother was my father's private whore and he only married her so you wouldn't be a bastard? Can't take hearing how she was never as good as my mother?"** she shrieks

**"I don't need to hear such filth and lies!** he screams back. **"And everyone knows how father hates you! Why else would he send you here, parading you in front of three men, hoping one of them will marry you so he is rid of you! So perhaps you really are a whore, trying to get the likes of those men! Tell me, hpw often have you spread your legs for them already?"**

The handmaidens gasp, and Jeron runs into the bedroom to drag Sindor out of it, while Emma just stands there, looking at Sindor with fiery ice in her eyes. Once Sindor is out of the room, the handmaidens run in and Emma shrugs of Thorin's hands of her shoulders.

"If you would excuse me, your highness, I would like to bathe and change now."

"Certainly Emma. Might I borrow Jalila for a moment?"

Emma looks at Jalila suspiciously, but nods. She just wants Thorin to leave the room. Once in the antechamber, Thorin asks Jalila what Sindor and Emma said.

"Well, eeeh, your highness, it is a bit, well, eeh, personal."

"Please tell me nonetheless. Or should I speak with the princess about things you have said?"

"Please don't, your highness, I shall tell you!"

And she tells him which words were exchanged between Emma and Sindor, causing a look of horror on his face.

"Thank you for explaining this to me. Now do tell, which jewelry does the princess like?"

"Why, your highness?"

"I do not think that I need to explain my motives to you."

"You are right, your highness, I apologize. She has difficult taste in jewelry, but it is mostly white gold, diamonds and pearls she likes."

"Thank you. Now go back and take care of the princess, the healer should arrive shortly. And remember: do not say anything of what we have spoken of. Just tell her you refused to translate."

"Yes, your highness."

As Jalila goes back to Emma's rooms, Thorin walks to his study and orders a servant to fetch his nephews. When they arrive, the three men sit in the lounge chairs next to the fire.

"I am so sorry uncle, I really did not mean for something like that to happen!"

"I know, don't worry about it, that is not why I have called you here."

"What happened?" Fili asks

"Kili has probably broken some of Emma's ribs while practicing swordfighting with her. But again: not the purpose of this meeting. I have asked you here to finally determine who shall marry her."

"You are joking right, uncle?" Fili says while smirking.

"Why?"

"Because we have known for a very long time that she is your One, uncle. We have no intention whatsoever to take her away from you." Kili laughs

"Yes, we were wondering why you didn't start courting her earlier." Fili snickers.

"Well, I, I mean, we have not, well, she is not…" Thorin tries to reply.

But Fili and Kili are already getting up. "Go get her first courting gift, uncle. And don't worry; we have a sneaking suspicion she likes you as well." And they walk away, softly laughing.

Thorin sits back and rubs his forehead. After a while, he gets up and walks to the forges, telling the smiths to bring him what he needs. When he gets his supplies, he goes to work, forgetting everything around him as he makes his first of seven courting gifts.

Just as he is done, a servant approaches him. "I am very sorry to disturb you, your highness, but your, eeh, former _friend_ is here and she wishes to speak to you."

"My former friend? Oooh, yes, my former friend. Please inform her that I shall be with her shortly."

The servant bows and leaves. Half an hour later, Thorin walks into his antechamber and sees his former consort sitting there. She jumps up as he enters and bows.

"Come on Jess, no need for that."

"I am sorry to just walk in here, Thorin, but my father does want me at home while I am pregnant, he is afraid I might taint the reputation of the family. I am on my way to my aunt right now, but I can not find a place to sleep. May I please sleep in Erebor tonight?"

Thorin frowns a little, but then says: "Of course you may, I shall have rooms made ready for you. How are you feeling?"

"I am fine, I had already expected my father to react this way."

"But what after the child is born?"

"I-I was hoping the child might be raised here….." she softly says.

Thorin sighs. "I will think of a suitable solution. Now go freshen up and then come to the dinner hall for supper."

"Thank you, Thorin." She says as she smiles at him.

"Of course, any time. And if you wish to remain here, please know that you can, I will find a house and something to do for you."

"Would you really?"

"Certainly. But please, for the immediate future: do not tell people of your pregnancy. My intented is here and I would not like it for her to be confronted with you before I have had the time to explain everything."

"Of course not, no one need know."

"Thank you. Now go to your former rooms and I will see you at supper."

But servants always gossip, and before long, everyone, including Emma's handmaidens, knows that the king's former, and pregnant, consort is back at Erebor.

In the meantime, the healer is looking at Emma's ribs. It is a bit of an awkward situation; her face is covered, but the healer can almost see all of her naked upper body, she is only covering her breasts with her arm for some modesty.

"Yes, yes, I see dear. Two broken ribs. I am afraid you will have to refrain from strenuous physical activities for a while. And be carefull with corsets; they may not be pulled too tight."

Emma sighs. "Fine, thank you for your visit."

"Any time dear, any time." The healer says as he walks out of the room with a small bow.

"Well, lets get me dressed and go for a drink in the dinner hall then. Supper shouldn't be too long now."

Her handmaidens bathe her, do her make-up and her hair, put a dress on and her vail. They make their way to the dinner hall where they all sit at a table together and drink some mead, talking about the events of the day, but mostly of what an asshole Sindor is and of the arrival of Thorin's former consort.


	7. 7 Courting

As it is almost time for supper, everyone is entering the dinner hall, and then they see the former consort also entering, looking for a place near to the king, who is looking at her, but also at Emma.

**"O dear, would that be her?"** Shana says.

**"I do believe it is."** Jalila says, looking at Emma to see her reaction.

**"If that is her, then I do not believe that the king has ever suffered from goldsickness."** Mina states.

**"How so?"** Emma asks.

**"Well, look at her, she is disgusting! If he has layn with that, then it was undoubtedly syfilis that has made him go mad, and not goldsickness!"**

Emma and her handmaidens can not help from bursting out in laughter as Mina explains with a smirk, and the whole hall looks at them while they hear it. As they notice the attention they are attrackting, they try to restrain themselves, but it is to little effect; everyone can still hear their melodious giggles.

They make an even greater effort as they see Thorin approaching them, and Emma bites her lip in order to be quiet. "Emma, how lovely to see you here. I trust you are feeling better?"

"I am, thank you, your highness."

"Would you like to accompany me for dinner?"

"If that is your wish, your highness." She replies and follows him to take her seat next to him, Mina standing behind her and Shana and Jalila remaining at the table.

When supper has ended, Thorin gets up and turns to Emma, whom has not said anything to him the whole time she was sitting next to him. "Princess Emma, you have enlightened Erebor with your presence during your stay, and we are privileged to have you here. We would therefore be honored if you would accept this present as a small token of our gratitude." He says formally.

Although it is not stated as such, it is clear that Thorin offers her the first courting gift. "I am gratefull for your thoughtfullness, your highness, and the honor would be all mine to wear and treasure your gift."

Emma is screaming 'No, No NO!' on the inside, but she is perfectly capable to reply to him as is expected of her. As she has given him her acceptance of his courting proposal, he puts a ring on her finger. She bows her head to him, and he sits down again, all present clapping and cheering.

Once everyone has calmed down again, she looks at the ring. It is made of mythril and shaped as branches around her finger, all the way from her knuckle to the first joint. In the branches, small pearls and diamonds are placed. If she is honest, the ring takes her breath away. It is exactly to her taste, but she does let anyone see her appreciation for the gift, instead holding her expressionless face.

Half an hour later, she announces that she is going to retire to her rooms.

"May I escort you there, princess?" Thorin asks.

"If it pleases you to do so, your highness."

He gets up and leads the way, her handmaidens following closeby.

"Does my gift please you, Emma?" Thorin asks while they walk to her rooms

"If it pleases you, it pleases me, your highness."

"And if it came from another man, would it please you then?" Thorin asks.

"Then I would ask my father or my brothers if it pleases me, your highness."

They arrive at the doors to her rooms. "May I come in so we can speak privately?"

"You may, your highness." Emma replies, and she sends her handmaidens, except for Mina, to her bedroom.

They sit on one of the sofas in the antechamber. "May I speak frankly with you, Emma?"

"Whatever you like, your highness." She says stoical.

"There was a time that you did not call me 'your highness' and I did not call you 'princess', but just Emma."

"There was, your highness."

"Would there be a possibility to go back to that time?"

"One never knows what the future brings, but going back in time is quite impossible, your highness." She says, still not looking at him.

He has to do his utmost best to keep his frustrations hidden. He wants her to look at him, and he wants to see the expression on her face, give him some clue as to what she is actually feeling. But he manages, and continues:

"I know I have wounded your pride, and you can not imagine how I regret that, knowing I can not change it. But is there something I could do to change your feelings towards me? Now that we have started courting, I mean."

"I do not know what you are refering to, your highness." She says coldly, her face hardening.

"Right. Well, I merely wish to to make my sincere wish for us to grow closer clear."

"Thank you for that, your highness."

"Shall we meet with Balin tomorrow to settle the details of our courtship?"

"Whatever you like. Please let my half-brother know when and where he will be expected, your highness."

"I shall." Thorin says, disappointment, brought on by her enduring cold attitude, clearly audible in his voice.

A silence falls between them, but after a few moment, Thorin clears his throat.

"You told me that your One has gone, but that he isn't dead nor missing. I have to admit that I am very curious as to what has happened to him."

"Why, your highness?"

"Because if we are to marry, I would like to know where the man is to whom my wife's heart belongs."

"You need not worry about that. As I said, he is gone, your highness."

"But where is he then?"

"I have no idea whatsoever, your highness."

"So he is missing?"

"No, I already said he is not. He is just gone, your highness."

Thorin looks at her with a soft expression. "Please, tell me what happened." He says gently.

"Fine, as you can't seem te be able to let the subject rest. He was my One, but he changed and so did my feelings for him, your highness."

"You can never change your feelings for your One, no matter what." Thorin says with a little disbelief in his voice.

Emma shrugs her shoulders. "I can and I have. Shall we let the matter rest now, your highness?"

"If you wish, Emma. Will you tell me what the fight between you and your brother this afternoon was about."

"My half-brother, your highness."

"Right, your half-brother."

"He was unhappy about the way things transpired this morning, your highness."

"Certainly one does not get into a fight like that just over some discontent."

"I might have offended him, but only after he offended me, your highness."

"And are you alright now?"

"I am, your highness." Emma says, but Thorin sees her eyes harden.

He cups her jaw and looks at her. "I will never let anything like that happen to you anymore." He says softly.

She pulls her head away from his gentle grip. "I don't need you nor anyone else to protect me. I can take care of myself, your highness."

He puts his hand on her back, but quickly takes it away as Shana loudly clears her throat. "I know you can, you have proven yourself to be a skilled opponent in battle, but I don't speak of physically taking care; I speak of taking care emotionally."

"I believe I am very tired. I shall go to bed now. Goodnight, your highness." She says, and she gets up and walks to her room, quickly followed by Shana.

Thorin sits in her antechamber a little bit longer, thinking of what she has said, but also of what she hasn't said, which may be even more interesting.


	8. 8 Courtship

The next morning, a servant lets Mina know that Emma is expected in Balin's chambers after breakfast for the meeting about the details of the courtship. So, after being dressed and having breakfast, a servant escorts Emma to Balin's room where she finds Thorin, Sindor and Balin already waiting for her. She briefly nods at them and takes a seat.

"Well" Balin says. "We are here to negotiate the details of the courtship. Perhaps it is best if I explain the general process of the courtship before we go into the details?"

"That would be nice, thank you." Sindor says.

"So, in total seven gifts will be presented to the princess, of which the last one is the housing his highness will provide, and one is the ring already given to the princess. The nature of the gifts will be decided by his highness, as is the timing of the gift giving. The princess has the right to refuse a gift, therewith effectively ending the courtship. If all gifts are accepted by the princess, the marriage will follow soon after. During the courtship, it is up to the princess and her escorts to determine how well his highness and her may get to know eachother and which liberties will be granted. Once the final gift is accepted and the date of the marriage is established, the dowry will be given to either the princess or her father, that will be your decision to make. Once the marriage has taken place and is consumed, the sign of Durin will be put on the princess' body in a place of her choosing. Do you have any questions regarding this process?"

**"Well then, half-sister, do you have any questions?"** Sindor says to Emma with a wolfish grin on his face.

**"Just shut up, Sindor. I can not imagine you will have anything intelligent to say about this matter. Get it over with and leave before you embarass yourself."**

But Sindor sees and opportunity to get his sister back for hat she has said to him. "We do have some remarks, lord Balin. I am not in the position to stay much longer, so I am afraid that I must insist on a short courtship."

"How short would be of your convenience?" Balin asks.

"If things could be arranged within a week and the wedding the day after the last gift, I would be much obliged.

Balin frowns. "That is highly unusual, such a short courtship."

"I think, taking into consideration that a marriage is to be arranged anyway, it is plenty of time. The courtship is really only a matter of formal display. Besides, they have known eachother for much longer than the time the princess has spent here, so I believe they know eachother well enough."

Thorin knows what Sindor is doing, but he says nothing. Instead, he looks at Emma to find out what she wants, but her face, as far as he can see it, gives nothing away.

"Princess, what are your thoughts about this?" Balin asks Emma.

"Whatever pleases his highness and you, also pleases me." She says emotionless.

Balin looks at Thorin, but the king does not return his look.

He sighs and looks back at Sindor. "Very well then, if that is what you want. Do you have any other remarks?"

"Yes. During the courtship, his highness and the princess are not to see eachother without a chaperone. One of the princess' handmaidens will be present at all times."

"Certainly. I shall inform everyone of the wedding date and start making preparations for the feast."

"Thank you lord Balin, my father will be very pleased to hear this"

"One more thing. Who will get the dowry?"

"Please give it to me, I will make sure that the arrangements made within our family are carried out."

Balin nods and takes out the marriage contracts, which are signed by all present. After that, Sindor takes his leave.

"Your highness, lord Balin, thank you for your time." Emma says as she gets up.

"Wait, I will walk with you." Thorin says as he jumps up and follows her.

"Are you- are you content with this?" he says to her as they walk in the hallways.

"It is not up to me to have an opinion about this, your highness. Whatever pleases you, pleases me."

"I think we both know that is not the case, Emma. You always had quite a strong opinion about things, why are you not sharing it now?"

"For I do not wish to spend energy on matters that can not be changed, your highness."

"Will you dine with me tonight. Privately, I mean."

"As I said, whatever pleases you, pleases me. Let my handmaidens know what time you expect me and I shall be there, your highness." And with that, she walks off, leaving Thorin in the middle of a hallway.

Over the next six days, Thorin gifts Emma with a necklace matching her ring, a tiara matching her ring, diamond earrings, a new wardrobe she can pick out and a county which gives her a title of her own and revenu from the leases on the land, but which will be controlled by a steward as it would not be fitting for a queen to do it herself. The last gift, the housing, has been inspected by Sindor and approved of, so the marriage can go on as planned. During those six days, Thorin has tried to get closer to Emma, but she has held him off, only replying to his questions with short answers and not contributing to the conversation herself.


	9. 9 Unexpected guests

It is the night before Thorin and Emma's wedding. As is customary, he spends it while drinking with his friends in one of the smaller halls. It is not an evening that grows so late as other evenings spend with friends and ale would, because Thorin wishes to feel his best at his wedding day. Normally Emma would spend it with female relatives, but as her only female relative is her stepmother and she would rather disembowel herself than spend time with the gasthly woman, she spends it with her handmaidens.

Mead, wine and refreshments have been brought to her chambers, and the evening passes as they did before; trying new things on eachothers hair, talking, gossiping and laughing. But around eleven there is a sharp knock on the door, and they all look up. It would be very unusual for someone to visit Emma now, and Jalila walks to the door, opening it curiously.

She frowns when she sees three dark haired elves, a blonde she-elf and a wizard standing in the doorway.

"Yes?"

"Pardon our intrusion, my lady, but we need to speak with the princess urgently." Gandalf says with a kind smile, while the elves keep their stern look.

"It is the night before the princess' wedding, my lord. I am afraid she can not be disturbed."

"We are aware of the circumstances. Please get her now." One of the elves says in an emotionless yet demanding tone.

Jalila hesitates for a moment, looking at the visitors, but then walks back tot he bedroom where they had been sitting and informs Emma of her guests. Initially, Emma wants to refuse receiving her guests, but then she gets up, puts on a vail and walks to the door, pulling her dressing robe tighter around her waist.

Once she looks into the hallway, she smiles in surprise. "Gandalf! What brings you here on this odd hour? You do know I am getting married tomorrow and not now, right?"

Gandalf wants to say something, but is interrupted by one of the elves:

"Emma, please follow us. We need to leave now."

Emma frowns, looking confused. "Who may you be and where should we go to?"

"I am lord Elrond of Rivendell, these are my sons, Elladan and Elrohir, and this is lady Galadriel, lady of the light. We are here to take you away so you will not have to marry the king."

This is definitely one of the highest ranking strange things she has encountered, a dark version of the fairytales her brother read to her when she was little, and that is counting a confrontation with a dragon. She has no idea what to make of of the elf's odd statement, and is completely confounded with regard to his intentions. Why would and elf of all people want to take her away from her wedding? It rather sounds like an elaborate joke, but knows that can not be as she knows elves to be rather humorless.

"Take me away, from my wedding? Whatever has given you the idea that I should be taken away from it?!"

Lord Elrond sighs. "You are not yet of age, Emma, so you can not marry him."

"And somehow you have gotten the impression that it should be you that has to take me away? Who do you think you are, meddling in my affairs, some kind of stretched out knight in shining armour?!" Emma hisses angrily, and she looks back at her handmaidens, ordering them in her own language to go and fetch Thorin. Jalila quickly walks off, but is stoppped in her tracks by another man, this time a dwarf, entering the royal corridor and stopping at Emma's door. It is Melo, Emma's older brother.

**"Nadad, good that you are here! These men seem to think that I need saving from my own marriage!"

But before Melo can answer lord Elrond, having grown impatient, and insecure of his current position, takes her arm. "You are not of age, and your father has not given permission for this marriage, so you will come with me now!"

"My father has given permission, so let go of me now!" She shrieks, trying to get loose from his grip.

"You are handling this quite badly, my dear Elrond." Gandalf mutters, but it is too late.

"I am your father and I will not have you married to king Thorin tomorrow, so come now."

Emma, still struggling to break free, looks at him for a small moment and then punches him on his nose. The sudden impact and the distinct sound of breaking cartilage makes that Elrond lets go of her and holds his bleeding nose.

"Guards!" Emma yells as loud as she can, and suddenly the corridor is full of people. Guards close in on the wizard and the elves, while Fili and Kili come running from their chambers. Everyone is yelling at everyone now, causing one big chaos with Elrond, whom is still clutching his nose, and Emma, whom is looking utterly lost and confused, in the middle, while Galadriel observes the whole scene. But then a low, rumbling voice cuts through all the others:

"Shazara!" Thorin yells, and everyone immediately falls silent. He walks passed the guards, Melo and the visitors and looks at Emma.

"What is going on here, are you alright?"

She glances at the visitors, her brother and all the other people in the corridor. "Lets discuss this inside, your highness."

They walk in, accompanied by Emma's handmaidens, and close the door. "Why is Elrond here, Emma?"

"You know him?! They came to the door, saying they want to take me away from here so I do not marry you, and saying that he is my father! I think that wizard of yours has gone utterly mad!"

"Did they hurt you?"

"He grabbed my arm, so I broke his nose." She says, a bit ashamed but also amused.

"Go to your bedroom, I will handle this." He says while trying to hold back a chuckle that comes up at the image of Emma breaking Elrond's nose.

Emma does what he says, followed by her handmaidens, and Thorin walks to the doorway again. He knows a problem when he sees it, and this situation is like a mountaintroll staring him in the face while he is unarmed. He also knows when something can be settled with a sword, and when diplomacy is needed. One common elf could have been settled with a sword. Lady Galadriel and lord Elrond can not. He sighs deeply before opening the door, and then swings it open. He looks at Elrond with his red and swollen nose, and can't help but grin a little. But he quickly composes himself and jerks his head at Elrond, Galadriel and Melo.

"You has best come in. Fili. Get Balin."

While his nephew runs off to fetch his chief advisor, the others follow him to Emma's study, where they all take a seat and sit in silence for a while. Thorin looks at Melo. His soon-to-be brother in law does not look angry, contrary to what he would expected a brother to look when an elf came to his sister and said he was his father, but rather weary, tired and anxious. Elrond on the other hand looks exactly as he would have expected him to look: angry and pugnacious. He doesn't even bother looking at Galadriel; she looks the same as always: a smile that is supposed to look calm and assuring, but looks more like arrogance to Thorin. Thorin knows this is going to be one terribly bothersome night, and he hasn't even taken Emma into account.

He is pulled from his observations by Balin softly knocking the door and entering, taking a seat next to Thorin.

"Elrond, why don't you explain why my betrothed thinks you want to take her away from here to stop the marriage and why you claim to be her father." Thorin says sternly.

"I am her father, and I have not given permission for this marriage, nor do I wish it to take place."

"Do you have any proof of that, you being her father, I mean?"

"I can easily supply you with it, if you wish so, I will bring her mother here." Elrond says with a small shrug of his left shoulder.

Melo looks at Thorin and nods very slightly, indicating to the king that Elrond is telling the truth. At seeing this, Thorin rubs his face with his hands and wants to say something, But Melo already does:

"Lord Elrond, Emma's wedding contract was drawn up and signed in the logical assumption that her father agreed to the marriage, and my father is officially listed as her father. So it remains to be seen if you can still claim her as your daughter. After all, for 63 years you have not made such a claim. Furthermore, if you take her with you against her will and take her marriage away from her, I can guarantee you that she will not want anything to do with you and she will just wait untill she is of age and then leave." He scoffs "She does not like my father and she has managed not to speak more than ten words to him in the past 30 years, even though she lived in the same palace as him. I can imagine that is not something you want, so perhaps it would be better for all parties to see how we can best make this work."

"And what do you suggest?" Elrond asks, not unkind, but also not really willing.

"It would all depend on king Thorin." Melo says while looking at Thorin. "If he still wants her as his wife, perhaps it would be possible for you to stay here for a while and get to know Emma. If you allow her to marry him, of course."

Thorin rubs his beard. He wants her, he needs her. But he can't forget he is a king. He also needs to produce heirs. Heirs that are acceptable to his subjects. He looks at Balin, whom looks back at him.

"I do not know enough about this subject to make an educated guess." The old dwarf mutters.

He has read Thorin's mind, has seen his doubts, but can not help him. Thorin sighs again.

"Perhaps we should ask Elrond. We know a dwarf and an elf can have a child, Emma is the living example of that. But we don't know when, as we don't know how fast elves or half-elves mature. You do not have a hundrerd years to wait untill she is able to have a child." Balin continues.

After a moment of doubt, hesitation over involving Elrond in his doubts and showing them to Melo, he nods.

"We would need a little more information to assess the situation." Balin says, diplomacy beaming off him.

While hearing the conversation between Thorin and Balin, a cloud falls over Melo's face. This whole thing had the potential of ending Emma's marriage before it had even begun. He just doesn't know if he should be happy about that or not. He knows his sister had feelings for Thorin in the past, but they seem to have radically changed. They spoke openly about a lot of things, but her feelings towards Thorin is one of the very few things she kept to herself, so he has no solid clue.

"We need to know whether a union between Thorin and Emma could blossom in a short term." Balin continues, clouding his words to a point only elves would get it.

"You want to know if my daughter, whom I do not wish to see married, can have his children, or he won't marry her?!" Elrond fumes

"I believe cooperation is the best way to go to keep all parties happy. Melo has made it quite clear that if you stop this marriage, Emma will not talk as much as one more word to you. And I personally believe that she will also blame you if Thorin decides not to go through with it."

It seems that Balin has left his diplomatic ways and just pointed out the way things are in a very clear manner. Elrond also seems to get it, though resistantly. He clenches his jaw and says through gritted teeth:

"it would depend on whether she has come of age yet. Physically."

All now look at Melo. "Well?" Balin says.

"You do realise you are speaking of my sister, right?!"

"So you do not know?" Balin asks, a bit impatiently.

"Off course I do not know!"

Balin gets up and opens the door to the antechamber. He sticks his head around it and orders one of the servants to bring Emma to the study.

A moment later she enters, looking at the people in the room, but deliberately not at Elrond and Galadriel.

**"Namad, they need to know if….eeeeerm….if you…..eeeerm…"**

Balin's patience is completely worn out. He has had enough of this whole thing. He gets that Thorin wants Emma, but the difficulty it is creating is out of bounds. Not to mention the money Thorin is spending on all of it. He wants to go to bed; the time that he could drink all night or go days without sleep has passed. He is old and does not have an unlimited amount of time to spend on these things, so he cuts in.

"We need to know whether you are physically an adult yet."

"Am I what?!" She blurts out, unable to believe these questions are actually being asked.

"Have your bleeds started yet? Is your body able to have children?"

Although most of her expression is hidden under her vail, it is clear to all that Emma's face is a mixture between confusion and anger, flushing bright red. And that is exactly what she is feeling. Somehow a conversation to get rid of a mad elf has turned into a discusion about her being able to have children. Which means that her ability to be a good queen is being discussed. Which means her marriage, that is supposed to be happening tomorrow, is uncertain. Although she did not admit it to anyone, Thorin the least, she does want to marry him, deep inside somewhere. And now this elf is ruining it, and embarrassing her in the process.

**"Really, nadad? I am being diminished to a producer of heirs?! The elf is completely coockoo, get him out of here, tell them I am a dwarf and get this over with!"**

**"Have a seat, namad."**

**"I do not need to have a seat, I need you to fix this!"**

**"Sit."** his command is spoken in a friendly manner, but she knows it is a command nonetheless, so she sits down in a chair as far away from Elrond as possible.

He knows they are being observed by everyone in the room and that the elves outside are probably listening in, but he also knows he can not do this to her with everyone watching them; it is embarrassing enough as it is.

"If you would please give my sister some privacy, I will call you back when our conversation is done." Melo says.

Everyone gets up, glad to be able to skip this no doubt embarrasing moment. When the room has cleared, Melo starts again:

**"Listen. If you are able to have children, I think everything can go ahead as it was planned. I will make sure the elf doesn't bother you too much, and in a couple of months, this will all be forgotten."**

Emma chews on the inside of her cheek, trying to keep herself from either lashing out in anger or bursting out in tears.

**"Tell me, Emma."**

**"Yes."**

**"Yes what?"**

Embarrassment is definitely taking the upper hand now, and she feels a blush creepng up her neck and cheeks.

**"Yes I can have children. Now can I leave?"**

**"Since long?"**

**"What?"**

Now Melo is also turning red, highly uncomfortable with having this conversation with his sister.

**"Have you…eeeeh…been able to..eeeerm..you know…since long?"**

She looks away, fixating on some pattern in the rich carpet that lies on the floor. **"Three months."**

**"Three months?!"** Melo thinks for a moment, rethinking the sanity of letting Thorin marry Emma, since she has only so recently became physically adult. **"Are you sure you want to do this, Emma? I mean, perhaps it would be better to wait a couple of years or something…"**

**"You were supposed to get rid of the mad elf, and now I have to discuss my private affairs and you doubt my marriage?! I have had enough of this, I'm going back to my room!"**

She wants to get up, but Melo gently takes her arm. **"Wait, namad, has anyone..eeeh….explained you what to expect?"**

**"Expect from what?"**

He sighs. She might know a lot about a lot, but in this she seems to be quite innocent. **"From..eeeh. the wedding night."**

He had not believed it was possible for her to turn even redder, but he now sees it is very possible. **"The governess, she said.."** Emma pauses, too ashamed to go on.

**"I am sorry I was not there when everything as arranged, namad, I truely am. Now don't feel ashamed with me."** he cups her jaw and pushes it up, so she looks in his eyes. **"What did she tell you?"**

**"To lie on my back and do what Thorin wants."** Emma whispers, trying to avoid lokking in his eyes.

**"That's it?!"**

Emma nods

**"Do you want me to find someone who can prepare you better?"**

She nods again

**"Go to your room then, but don't go to sleep yet, I'll come by later. And don't worry, I'll fix this."**

Emma gets up and leaves the room while Melo calls the others back in.

"There is no impediment in that area, though that is recent." Melo says to Balin.

"Then I think we can come to the conclusion that having this wedding is in all our best interests."

Elrond clears his throat, demanding the attention.

"I do have some demands. She will have an elf accompanying her, always, and she will spend at least an hour per day with me, learning about the elven way."

Melo looks at Thorin, whom nods. "That is fine, but you will have to follow Emma's schedule and not interfere with state business, and she has a say in what she will learn. And you will mind the royal etiquette."

Elrond nods, and Melo gets up. "I'll ask Emma if she can agree with this."

After softly knocking of the door, he enters his sisters bedroom.

**"Emma, are you here?"**

**"Nadad."** the way she calls him brother is not a question, nor a warning, but a bit more like an ascertation; simply stating the facts and therewith judging Elrond's claims to be worthless.

**"We have talked. Everything can go ahead as arranged if you agree to spend an hour a day with Elrond, learning about the elven way, and always have an elf escorting you."**

Emma crosses her arms and frowns her brows.

**"You have gone utterly mad, nadad! I do not care what he or father or anyone else has told you, I refuse to believe it. And I am certainly not spending my time with him!"**

**"Come on, you can choose what you want to learn or do. And you will have an escort all the time anyway, so what does it matter if one of them is an elf?"**

She crosses her arms and shakes her head. **"No."**

**"Namad…."**

**"No."**

Melo sighs and goes back to the study.

"She does not want it, and I'm not going to make her, sorry Thorin."

"Then you sign for her."

"That's basically the same as forcing her. I'm not doing it. Get my father if you want someone forcing her to do this, but it won't be me."

The men sit in silence for a while, untill Thorin yells at Emma to come and join them. But he does not get an answer, and yells her name again. One of her handmaidens comes into the study.

"I am sorry, my lord, but she can not join you at this moment."

"And why may thet be?"

Jalila starts blushing. "She..eeeh…she might have left the bedroom through the passageways."

Thorin gets up. "Where did she go?"

"i don't know, my lord, but she changed into her training clothes."

**"SHIT!"** Melo curses, and then turns to Thorin. "Where could she have gone?"

But Thorin's answer is interrupted by Elrond, who hisses: "You have told her to leave!" he hisses at Melo.

"Stay calm! There is no use in telling Emma to leave, as I can not marry her now without additional permission anyway." Thorin says. "We'll look for her together, but I think I know where she is. Come on."

The three men get up and leave Emma's chambers, and Thorin orders some guards to follow them, as does Elrond with his sons. They leave Erebor trough the front gate, going up the path that Emma takes when she goes running in the morning, lighting their way with lanterns. An hour later, they arrive at the plateau where Emma normally turns around and see her sitting there, looking at the starts. Melo wants to walk up to her, but is stopped by Thorin, who signals them all to stay back as he approaches her.

"I though you normally train in the morning." He says when he is standing next to her.

She does not look at her, but keeps staring to the sky. "Normally I do, your highness." She says.

"Any specific reason you have chosen this time of night to go running?" he asks dryly.

"None whatsoever, your highness. Would there be anything else or did you bring half of Erebor here to enquire after my training habits?"

Thorin looks back and nods at the men waiting to leave them. As they have done, Elrond under protest, Thorin sits down next to his betrothed.

"Tell me what you want, Emma."

"Whatever pleases you, pleases me, you highness." She says

"By Mahal, would you stop being so sarcastically polite and just tell me what you want!" he utters loudly.

It is silent between them for a moment, him taken back by his own outburst, her a little surprised.

"Sorry." He says. "I did not mean to be so harsh. But for the time you have been here, you did not give your opinion about any of the important decision that had to made, regarding your life, I may add. So what do you want? Do you want to go to Rivendell?"

"No."

"Do you want to go back with Melo?"

"No."

"Do you want Elrond to stay here?"

"No."

"You can not say no to everything, Emma. If you do, Elrond will deny approval of the marriage, and I am not going to take the risk of marrying you possibly without approval from your father."

She stays silent, looking at the stars again.

"Or do you not want to marry me?" he asks softly, but she stays silent.

"Tell me." He urges. "Do you, or do you not want to marry me?"

Finally, she tears her gaze away from the stars. "Fine. Let them stay here then." She says, and she gets up.

When she stands, he sees her transform from the insecure, unhappy girl that has been confronted with things she did not want nor need in the unreachable princess; her back is straight and her shoulders are pulled back while she holds her head a little up and her eyes have turned darker and harder. He chuckles on the inside, it is all just an attitute, a mask that she uses to hide her true self from the world. But he has to admit, as he sees her walk past the man that claims to be her father, his sons, the guards and her brother, that she does it well. None dare stop her or talk to her, but step aside to let her pass and follow her.

While they walk back, Melo goes to walk next to Thorin.

"Thorin, it turns out that my sister is…eeeh….quite innocent when it comes to…eeeeh….marital relations. Do you perhaps have a female relative that could….eeeeeh….prepare her for the wedding?"

Thorin's head jerks to Melo. "Seriously, the night before the wedding?! It is the responsability of your family to make sure she is properly prepared!"

Melo shrugs apologetically. "I was away on business when everything was arranged, I did not know of this before just now."

Thorin sighs. "No, I dont have a female relative here; Dis will arrive tomorrow, and I do not think it would be wise to rouse one of the noble women for this. It would create gossip."

"Then perhaps you could…eeeeh…take this lack of…eeeh…knowledge into account?"

Thorin nods, and they continue the walk down in silence. When they reach the entrance of Erebor, Emma turns to Melo.

**"You sign for it, I find it a waste of time. I'm going to sleep."** and she keeps walking, not even looking back to see if he heard her.

Melo closes his eyes for a moment, and then says: **"I can take you away from here, from everything, if you want."**

Now she stops and looks back, with a sad smile that none can see. **"No, you can't and I don't think I want to. Goodnight Melo."**


	10. 10 Marriage

Last night, Thorin was happy that she did not tell him that she didn't want to marry him, completely ignoring the fact that she did not say she wanted to either. But now he finds himself standing on the dais, his face blank and his hands clasped behind his back, waiting for his bride, and he wonders if he is doing the right thing by marrying her. Not that he does not want her as his wife, he wants her more than anything in the world, but he is afraid he can never make her happy and their marriage will be one solely for the purpose of having an heir, cold and lifeless beyond that.

However, nothing can be done about it anymore now, as the doors open and Emma is escorted to the dais by Melo. She is dressed in a rather tight fitting, silk dress with a long train. Around her middle is a belt made of gold with thousands of sparkling diamonds on it, accentuating her tiny waist. The vail that is flowing over her crowned head is made of lace and is almost as long as her train in the back while it covers her untill just under her bosom in the front. Thorin can only barely hold back an audible gasp, mesmerized by her; his doubts forgotten.

Melo puts her hand in Thorin's and takes his seat. Balin leads the ceremony, and when the vows are made, he proclaims them husband and wife and a crown is put on her head as a sign she is queen. Now it is the time for Thorin to make a decision. He can either just lift her vail a bit and kiss her, indicating to her that she has to keep wearing a vail in public, or put the vail back completely and show her face to everyone present, indicating that she does not have to wear a vail anymore. He choses the latter, and as he lifts the vail back, he is left breathless for a moment as he looks upon her beautiful face. Besides from the dark, deer-like big eyes he has already seen, she has a perfect nose and full lips that remind him of rosebuds. He composes himself and presses a soft kiss on them, which leads to cheering from the crowd. Then, they proceed to the great hall where a banquet is served for all the guests.

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Elrond has been mesmerized from the moment Thorin lifted Emma's vail. He has not layn eyes upon his own daughter's face before that moment, and he can not believe how the best of Eliana and him can be united so beautifully in a living creature.

But his thoughts are also sobering. His daughter is 63 and he has never seen her face untill this day. For what may be the millionth time in his life, he seriously doubts the sanity of the decision he made so many years ago. If only he had gotten Eliana away from her husband before she gave birth. If only he had gone back to get his daughter. Then he would not be sitting here now, marveling at the first sight of his daughter's face and a mere spectator to her marriage instead of the one giving her away and leading the ceremony.

Guilt overflows him

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As everyone eats and feasts, Thorin sits next to Emma, thinking of what to say. All day and night, he had not heard a word from her directed to him after the vows. He can not come up with anything but: "You look incredibly pretty."

"Thank you, your highness."

"Your dress is also very nice. The seemstresses must have worked very hard to have it finished within such a short amount of time."

"I think they have, your highness."

He wants to say something else, but is interupted by Dis. "Thorin, may I have a moment?"

"Yes?"

"Not here, come with me."

He follows her to one of the chamber adjoining the hall and closes the door behind him.

"First of all, congratiolations with your marriage, nadad. I am sorry I arrived so late and have to leave again tonight."

"Thank you, namad. What do you want to talk about?" he asks, a bit unpatiently as he wants to go back to Emma.

"I wanted to have this talk earlier, but as I only arrived this morning, I did not have the chance. But Fili and Kili wrote to me that your bride is not exactly warming up to you yet."

"Eeeeeh, yes, well, lets hope that will improve as we go along."

"Then perhaps you should consider not consumating the marriage yet. Taking her virginity without her even liking you is something she might find hard to forgive, as she is probably not ready for it yet."

"Not ready? Which bride is ever ready?! And you know as well as I do that proof that the marriage is consumated has to be given to the counsel."

"Proof that can easily be forged. Think about it, nadad, I am only trying to give you advice."

"I know namad, and thank you for it. Now, I am tired and I am going to retire. I trust that you will make sure that your sons don't shame Erebor?"

"You know as well as I do that I can not."

They both laugh as they walk out of the room, knowing that Fili and Kili are even more uncontrolable when they drink. Thorin sits on his throne and turns to Emma.

"Shall we retire now?"

"As you like, your highness."


	11. 11 Consumation

Thorin announces their departure to the guests and urges them to keep feasting, somthing they no doubt will do. Shana escorts Emma to Thorin's room while Elrond's sons follow them unconspicuously. They stand outside her chambers while Emma and Jalila walk to the bedroom where Jalila takes of Emma's dress and puts her in a long, white evening robe.

**"Emma, will you be alright?"**

**"I probably will. I doubt he will kill me."**

**"You know what I mean."**

**"I will get over it."**

**"Alright, I will leave you then, I think I hear him coming. Please send a servant for us whenever you need us. Our rooms will be made ready during your honeymoon, so tonight we will not yet be in the next room, but I believe there is a servant outside of these rooms whom you can send for us."**

**"Thank you Jalila."**

And then the handmaiden takes her leave, leaving Emma all alone in the room while she hears Thorin approaching, the sound of his heavy boots on the stone floor echooing through the royal corridor. She gets into the bed and pulls the covers over herself just before he enters the bedroom and closes the door. She is glad that the room is only sparely lit, so she does not have to see how he looks at her. He takes off his clothes, only leaving his undergarments on and lies next to her on the bed, pushing his arm under her head.

"Did you have a nice day, Emma?"

"I did, your highness."

"And are you happy with our marriage?"

"I am if you are, your highness."

He has seen how she pulled up the blankets to cover herself and he now notices the small tremble in her voice.

"We, eeeh, we don't have to do this tonight, you know. We could just put, eeh, something on the sheets as proof."

Emma says nothing, afraid that if she speaks, he will know how scared she is, how vulnerable she feels and how insecure she is. She has of course seen other dwarrowdams, and she knows she does not look like them. Her belly is flat, her breasts are smaller than theirs and her hips do not nearly stand out like theirs do. She now knows why, but it does not lessen her insecurity; on the contrary, it only worsenes it. How can Thorin find a half-elf attractive?

Thorin strokes her cheek, but she is afraid to look at him. She does not want to make this decision; she wants him to make it. It has been so easy, letting everyone around her make decisions for her. She does not have to think for herself, she can not be held accountable and the responsability for all those decisions lies on someone elses shoulders.

"We could wait untill you feel more comfortable with me."

"If that is what you wish, your highness, then that is what we shall do." She manages to squeeze out in a small voice.

"Look at me, Emma." He urges her, but she does not, instead, she keeps staring at the wealthily decorated canopy hanging over his bed. Their bed now. The bed she is supposed to share with her husband, doing Mahal knows what.

"Look at me. He urges gently again, and now she does, although her eyes do not meet his. "Set the pace for me, tell me if I go to fast."

"I—I don't know-"

His calloussed thumb strokes over her bottom lip. "I know." He says, and then he kisses her, seeking entrance to her mouth with an unpatient tongue.

He feels desire buring inside of him, and he has to hold himself back from taking her immediately. Oh how he has waited for this moment, How he has waited to finally make her his. He only hears the whispers of the voice somewhere deep inside of him telling him that it would be better to wait, that she is not ready and does not fully consent. But as strong as the mind may be, the flesh is weak and he is powerless against his desire, can not hold ground against his lust. So he softly kisses her, telling himself he will stop if she resists, pulling the covers away from her and exploring her body with his hands.

Then, he carefully opens her robe. He can see her completely naked now, and it makes her feel even more vulnerable. She pulls up her legs and puts her arms over her breasts, but he pushes her legs apart and sits between them, softly taking her arms and putting them next to her. Her perfect body only fuels the flame of lust inside of him, and he starts kissing her nipples, rolling the little pearls between his tongue and his lips, cupping her breasts in his hands.

Then, his mouth trails down, over her belly and to her thighs, kissing them and nibbling at her skin a little bit, avoiding touching her sex just yet. He looks up at her face, and sees that she is looking at the canopy above the bed with an emotionless expression, so he lies next to her again, looking in her eyes.

"Just tell me if you don't want it yet. I would completely understand if you don't."

"It is fine, your highness. Do whatever you please." She says in a small voice, gazing downwards.

"I only want to please you, but I do not have the idea that you like it."

"It is just new to me, that is all, your highness."

"Are you sure that is all?"

She nods, so he kisses her again, now stroking her body with his hand, slowly making his way to her sex. He starts rubbing her clit, and to his satisfaction he feels that she is getting aroused, her slit becoming wet. Feeling her arousal, he can't hold himself back anymore and takes of the last piece of clothing, freeing his rockhard erection. He lies on top of her, resting on one elbow while positioning himself at her entrance.

"It might- it might hurt a bit. But it will be alright" He breathlessly says.

"I know, your highness."

And then, he wants to enter her. But as she feels the pressure, she involuntarily digs her heels into the bed and tries to slide herself up towards the headboard. He puts an arm around her waist, holding her still but also forcing her hips to tilt upwards a bit, and pushes again, this time entering her. As he does, he feels she is resisting his intrusion. She tries to wriggle out from under him, and her inner muscles are clenched, which makes it even greater for him but more painfull for her. She cries out in pain, but he muffles the sound with a kiss, entering her mouth with his tongue and stroking the side of her face with his hand.

"Shhh, just relax, it will get easier."

But she does not look at him, instead turning her head to the side. He kisses her now exposed neck and starts to move slowly, the friction and her tightness sending gulfs of pleasure through his body almost immediately, causing him to groan from deep within his chest. As she silently prays for it to be over soon, he starts to move faster, untill he reaches his climax and groans out, his head in his neck. But then he looks at her, and sees tears rolling over her cheeks.

"Mahal, are you alright?!" He utters, seeing what he has caused, and he wipes her tears away and strokes her hair and face.

She nods, but her face shows that she is in pain. He pulls out and lies next to her, still stroking her hair.

"I will get the servants to draw you a bath while they change the sheets."

"No need to bother them with it, I shall do it myself, your highness." She says, and she walks to the bathroom.

When she gets up, quickly pulling her night robe around her, she feels the burning and aching feeling inside of her, making it almost impossible to walk. But she does not want him to see, so she walks as straight as she can.

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Meanwhile, Elladan and Elrohir, Elrond's sons, have been standing outside of the royal chambers, cursing their elven hearing. The moment they heard her muffled cry, they started to feel uncomfortable, almost shifting at their feet. Their discomfort only grew hearing the sounds coming from the bedroom, inaudible to anyone that does not have elven hearing, and when they hear sobs coming from the bathroom and see a servant coming out of the chambers holding what appears to be a sheet with bloodstains, they look at eachother and then quickly walk back to hall where the wedding feast is still going on, orders to guard her or not. They see their father talking to Gandalf, both of them looking rather serious, and sit next to him. Elrond looks at his sons.

~"Why are you not watching the royal chambers?"~

~" There is no point, as she can always get out through the passageways, and we do not wish to hear our sister during her wedding night."~ Elladan says, barely disguising his disgust.

~"Excuse me?"~ Elrond utters.

~"Who would want to hear their sister cry while her new husband has his way with her?!"~ Elrohir hisses.

Elrond wants to jump up, but is held back by Gandalf. ~" Leave it to her, it is her choice. Things might not be as they seem."~

~"If I see her to be unhappy tomorrow, I will tear up the contract and take her with me!"~ Elrond hisses at him, anger beaming from him.

~"I doubt you will see her tomorrow, or the rest of the week. They have their honeymoon now, and it is tradition that the newlywed couple does not leave their chambers for at least a week, often two weeks."~ Gandalf chuckles. ~"It will be fine after that, you'll see."~

~"I have yet to see her smile, Gandalf. It is her weddingday, and no smile has left her lips all day. I should have refused my consent yesterday. You told me she would be happy for us to come, that she would come with us."~ His tone is uncaracteristically bitter, almost accusing.

~"I believed she would be, but what man has ever been able to claim knowledge about the workings of women. And I told you yesterday you were handeling things badly. How is it, my old friend, that after millenia of perfect restraint, you have let your emotions get the best of you?"~

Elrond grumbles a bit, but does not answer Gandalf.

~" Talk to her brother tomorrow. He will set your mind at ease, you'll see."~

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Thorin takes the sheets of the bed and hands them to the servant waiting outside the room, ordering him to bring them to the counsel. He has seen the amount of blood on them, and knows Emma must be in pain. As he closes the door, he walks to the bathroom. But when he stands at the door, he hears her crying. For a moment he hesitates, trying to decide if he should leave her alone or console her, but then he enters the bathroom, takes his robe off and sits behind her in the bath. She sits with her legs pulled to her chest, her arms wrapped around them. When she hears him enter, she tuns her back to him and tries to wipe away her tears, but they keep a split second, he looks at her, noticing the pale white scars scattered on her lower back, standing out clearly against the lightly tanned skin, and he struggles to hold back a gasp. But then he puts his arms around her, trying to sooth her.

"I'm—I'm really sorry about this." He whispers. "It was not exactly what I had planned." And he presses a kiss on the nape of her neck.

She is sobbing now, and he feels her body shaking against his.

"Tell me what is wrong, are you in that much pain?"

But it is not just the pain that is causing her to be emotional. She has a tangible feeling of loss caused by him taking her virginity, something that she was always told was the only thing of value about her. On top of that, she feels a terrible shame about the whole thing, about him seeing her naked and the activities that followed. And then there is everthing that happened between them on their journey, the way she was pressured into this marriage and some elf showing up at her door and claiming he is her father. Everything has caused one big emotional turmoil inside of her, that she can not just push away like she normally does. But she can not tell him; she can not share her feelings with him, so she says nothing and just shakes her head. He pulls her close to him, holding her tight and softly kisses her neck again.

"It is me, Emma. Not king Thorin, not even Thorin Oakenshield, but me."

The only response he gets is a small sob that makes her back tremble against his chest.

"It will be alright, azyungal. If you do not want to, we will not do it untill you are ready. And I will try to be your One again."

He feels her stiffen as he says it, and he chuckles a little bit.

"I always wanted to go to your father's estate, so I would be able to see you again. I enjoyed your company so, you brought light to my life. I think it must have driven your father mad, him being inspected so often, but I could not help myself, I had to see you."

There is a silence, but he lets it linger, patiently waiting for her to speak, to show her feelings that hide behind the mask of indifference and cold distance. "And then you stopped coming."

"I had nothing to offer anymore. My kingdom and my position were gone; I was merely a blacksmith working for men."

"I did not like you for your kingdom or your position, but for you." Emma whispers.

He presses another kiss in her neck. "And will you like me again?"

"Too much has happened, your highness."

"I beg of you, just call me Thorin. Call me whatever you like in public, but when we are in private, let us go back to a simpler time."

She says nothing, and lets him continue. "I know I can't change what happened, but I will do anything I can to make you feel happy again. So tell me, what can I do, I am at your command."

She sighs. "What do you want from me, Thorin?"

He smiles as he hears that she has finally stopped calling him 'your highness'. "I want us to be happy. I want us to have the marriage you imagined us to have when you were younger."

"What do you know about what I wanted when I was younger?"

He chuckles. "I could see it on your face. And your half-brother showed me your diary once, filled with things like: 'Mrs. Emma Durin', 'queen Emma of Erebor' and 'Emma, wife of Thorin'.

She turns around to him. "He did what?!"

Thorin grinns as he sees the shock on Emma's face and softly kisses her, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. "Relax. He tried to embarass you, but little did he know that it actualy made me very happy. I took you shopping after that, remember?"

Emma thinks back to the sunny day that Thorin took her to the city and bought her a diamond hairpin. She knew it wasn't a courting gift, but when she was alone, she pretended it was. A fainth smile appears on her face.

"What are you thinking of?" he asks as he tries to look in her eyes, but she looks at her hands.

"About the pin you bought me."

"And?"

"And nothing."

He rises a bit, kissing her forehead. "Come on, let me take you to bed."

He sees the smile on her face fade, and understands what she thinks he means. "I-we will not do anything anymore untill you want me. I just want to hold you while we sleep." He says and he gets out of the bath, offering his hand to help her out. She hesitates for a second, but then takes it.

In the bath, the water and foam had concealed her naked body, which is now fully on display as she gets up, She tries to turn away from Thorin, uncomfortable with him looking at her. He pulls her close to him, and she feels his chest against her breasts. She tries to look away, but he cups her jaw and pushes it up so she is forced to look in his eyes.

"Don't feel ashamed."He says softly, and he picks her up and puts her on a sofa in front of the fire where he starts drying her of, meticulously rubbing every inch of her body with the towel. As he is done, himself being dried of by the heat of the fire, he picks her up again and lies her on the bed, snuggling next to her and pullings covers and furs over them, holding her in his arms.

Like that, they fall asleep. When Emma wakes up the next morning, she feels his strong arms around her. Thorin feels her move and slowly wakes, smiling as he sees her face.

"Goodmorning, azyungal, did you sleep well?"

She feels her face getting red as she remembers the night before, and she looks down. However, as she does, she realises she is looking at his penis, and she quickly shifts her gaze, not knowing where to look now. He chuckles a bit as he sees her panic.

"Is something wrong?" he says with a slight grin.

"No, no, nothing wrong." Emma squeels out as she settles her eyes on the canopy, deciding that is the safest option.

"Would you like to have breakfast?"

Emma thinks. Normally she would have already ran for an hour by now, and she is feeling restless. However, she knows it would be quite strange for her to go running on the morning after her wedding, so she just nods.

Thorin gets up, puts on a robe and sticks his head out of the door to ask one the the waiting servants to bring them breakfast.

"Eeeehm, what is the plan for today?" Emma asks him when he closes the door.

"The plan? Well, normally we are just supposed to stay in here for a week or two. You could get your mark today. Did you already think of the design and where you want it?"

Emma did think of it actually, long and hard. "I was thinking the Durin seal on the back of my neck, just below my hairline. But not too big."

Thorin looks at her in surprise.

"You do not like it?' she asks

"It is not that. It's just-unusual, that's all. Normally women want something really big on a really visible place; so everyone knows they are from the house of Durin."

"I do not need a mark for people to know I am royalty." Emma smirks. "How long do you think it will take?"

"I think an half an hour or so, as it is really small."

"And who will do it?"

"Dwalin will. He has a lot of experience with tattoos, did most of mine."

She looks at his tattoos. They cover most of his upper arms and chest, accentuating the strong, hard muscles. From the images and runes, she can understand they commemorate his comrades fallen in battle and the battles themselves. Bad memories, etched forever into his skin. She wonders if anything that has happened during the journey or the battle has been eternalised on his skin yet, but she can not see. Her ponderings are disturbed as a servant knocks. She jumps up and quickly puts on a robe before sitting at the table. Thorin opens the door and breakfast is served for them. They eat quietly for a while.

"The dresses you gifted me, can I choose which ones I want?"

Thorin looks up from his food. "Of course. I can send for the seemstress today. She will take your measurements and she has a book from which you can choose. Do you want me to make an appointment for your for this afternoon?"

"Yes."

Thorin gets up and sticks his head out of the door again, ordering the servant to bring the seemstress this afternoon, and then adding that he also has to go and get Dwalin.

"Put some clothes on then, azyungal, Dwalin will be here shortly."

Emma gets up and picks out a dress. But as she looks at it, she realises that she has no idea how she can put it on by herself. She sees Thorin looking at her, and smiles a bit.

"You have no idea how to put on your own clothes, do you?" He says with a small chuckle.

"I know how to put them on, I just can't do it by myself."

"Then why do you wear such contraptions? Would it not be far easier to just wear some trousers and a tunic?"

"Are you mocking me?"

"A bit, yes."

She steps into the dress and pulls it up under her robe, then taking the robe of. "Just fasten the laces in the back for me?"

He gets up and looks at the strings he is supposed to pull. It does not seem too complicated, so he just pulls the first one, evoking a moan from Emma.

"That would be a little too tight." She says breathlessly.

"O. right. sorry." He says, adjusting the laces.

As he is finished he looks at his work. It seems to look fine, but when Emma looks in the mirror, she snickers. "Tradition or not, the next time I'm getting my ladies to do this."

But the conversation is cut short as there is a knock on the door.

"Enter." Thorin says, and the door swings open with Dwalin sticking his head into the room.

"Everybody decent?" he asks, causing Emma to blush.

"Aye." Thorin says. "Come in."

"So I am to do the tattoo for the lass? Can't you do it yourself?"

"Very funny. Just get on with it."

"What do you want Emma?" Dwalin asks her, but before she can answer, Thorin already speaks.

"Just a small Durin seal in her nek, under the hairline."

"How small?"

Thorin and Dwalin are now both looking at her. "The size of your thumbnail, I guess." She says.

"Are you sure lass? Do you not want something bigger, something more visible?"

She shakes her head.

"Alright, lie on the bed then. Did you ever have one before?"

She shakes her head again.

"It's just a bit annoying, but remember: you have to lie still." He says as he takes a needle and ink out of his pockets. Het puts the needle in the fire first and then in the ink.

"Put your hair aside."

She does, and he gets to work. He was right, it is quite annoying, but not really painfull. After half an hour, Dwalin is done.

"Looks nice." Thorin says, peering at her neck. "But it is a bit small."

"It is." The two dwarves are looking at Emma's neck with some disappointment in their eyes, but then Dwalin shrugs and leaves the room.

Emma wants to say something, but there is another knock on the door.

"Enter." Thorin says again

"The seemstress has arrived." The servant announces.

"Let her in." He sighs.

"I am going to take a bath or something while you pick your dresses, it's not really my thing."

The next two hours, Emma's measurements are taken and she tells the seemstress which dresses, fabrics and colors she wants.

"How long before the first one is ready?"

"I will have it done within the day, your highness."

"Thank you."

The seemstress sees it as a dismissal and takes her leave, and a little later Thorin comes back into the room, naked...

"So, eeeh, what are we going to do now?' she asks

"We are in a room together and we are not supposed to leave for another six days. Come here." he says, as he pats on the bed.

Hesitantly she walks over to him and lets him put her on her belly on the bed. As she is lying there, he takes off her robe. She tries to hold on to it, but knows she can not make it too obvious that she does not want to.

"I told you we would not do it anymore until you want me, trust me." And he starts rubbing her back, relaxing her tensed muscles and making her fall into a relaxed slumber.

Whem she is completely relaxed, he moves on to her legs, starting with her calfs. Slowly his hands move up, his thumbs touching the top inside of her thighs, but not further than that. It causes a small tingle of expectation between her legs, and she breathes in deeply, but his fingers do not go further up, which leaves her both disappointed and relieved. He then lies next to her, taking her in his arms and like that they fall asleep. It is the first time in a very long while that she sleepes completely at ease.


	12. 12 Honeymoon

"We need to talk."

Elrond saw Melo sitting at the breakfast table, took his chance, and is now standing next to him, or towering over him rather. Melo sends his advisors, whom were sitting next to him, away and Elrond takes a seat in the emptied chair.

"I was hoping you might enlighten me a bit on dwarven culture. And perhaps tell me about Emma."

Melo looks at the elf lord. Long before he arrived in Erebor last night, he had known there was some great secret, something hidden in the dark away from everyone's eyes, so he was less surprised than everyone else. But surprised nonetheless, though not as unpleasantly as one might expect. He does not hold the grudges that so many dwarves of his father's generation hold, although those grudges seem to have lessened after the retake of Erebor, so the fact that Elrond is an elf is not of very great matter to him. The fact that his mother slept with one is though. That is of great matter, as it is a great insult. But then on the other hand, his father not being Emma's father might just be quite the blessing. For Emma, that is. The ghastly man had done nothing but torment her for her whole life, and Elrond showing up here might just be the opportunity to replace a bad father with a possibly good one. Choices, choices…

Melo sighs. "Perhaps I could be of assistance." There is no harm in testing the waters, is there….

"I did not see her smile all day yesterday. Will Thorin make her happy?" Elrond bluntly asks.

Melo squints his eyes. "That depends on many things, of which the most are unknown to me. So this question I can not answer."

"Has she been happy? Did she get the life she wanted?"

"No."

"No?! What do you mean, 'no'?"

"It means she hasn't. But I am not willing to get into this further. If you wish to know, ask her."

"I have been informed she will not appear in public for the at least a week." Elrond answers stiffly.

"Indeed, it is her honeymoon. For us dwarves, the week or first two weeks after the wedding are meant to get to know your partner better."

"So Emma did not know Thorin before marrying him?"

"I meant more in a way of 'away from others…" Melo puts an emphasis on the last words, hoping Elrond will get the meaning.

"My sons have informed me she did not wish to get to know him in such a way."

Confusion spreads over Melo's face. He suspects miscommunication, as he can not believe that Elrond's sons were present in the room when….What a horrific subject to talk about, his sister during her honeymoon.

"I do not get what you mean."

"They stood guard at the royal chambers and heard her cry last night."

Not a miscommunication then…..

"I feel highly uncomfortable speaking about this, she is my sister! I am sure that if he has behaved dishonorable, she will inform me. Now, if you don't have any other questions?"

"But I do." Elrond says sternly. "How is it that Thorin asked you to sign the agreement between us, but you refused?"

"Emma is my sister. At that moment, I was her nearest male relative present, so I could sign for her."

Elrond interrupts him. "How could you sign for her? Because of her age?"

"No, because she is a woman." Melo shrugs his shoulders, not understanding why Elrond doesn't get it.

"So?"

"Perhaps there is a cultural difference here, but female dwarves belong to their nearest male relative."

"Belong to them? As in property?"

"A little more complicated, but basically like property, yes."

"And why did you refuse?"

Irritation ebbs away from Melo's face and is replaced by a softer expression. "Because she is my sister and I love her. I do things because they are best for her, not because I want it."

"And her vail?"

"What about it?"

"She was vailed when I first saw her, but not anymore after her vows."

"The vail is an old tradition. Before, all unmarried women, and some married ones, wore a vail when in public. When we were forced to have more dealings with other races, most women did not wear it anymore, because it set them apart. But my father wanted Emma to wear one. Thankfully, Thorin does not require that of his wife. So when they were married, he lifted her vail completely, indicating she doesn't have to wear it anymore."

A silence falls between the two men. Elrond stares at the wall, though he doesn't see the intricately engraved runes on it, consumed by his thoughts. He needs to know what he can do so he can get to know Emma, as, judging by the state of his nose two night before, she will make very little effort to get to know him. He wishes Galadriel was here, she would know exactly what questions to ask to get her answers.

"Can you tell me what kind of person she is?"

"That depends on whether she likes someone or not."

"If she does?"

"Then she is loyal, warm, with a dry humor."

"And if she doesn't like someone?"

"Then she will most likely ignore him or her, or if forced to speak with that person, let them become acquinted with the meaninglessness of their existance."

"I see."

"She has many great qualities, but most are not seen at first sight." He pauses a bit, unsure whether he should share more with the elven lord or not, but then he decides it is worth the risk. "Emma has known a lot of—rejection in her life, for lack of a better word. Or perhaps disappointment would suit better. Anyway, I am not a crafter of words like elves, and it does not really matter. What I mean to say is, that if you stay here and want to try to have some sort of a relationship with Emma, you will have to see it through. I will not have her face yet another let-down. Either leave now or make a true effort."

"And will my effort bring me closer to her?" Elrond's tone is void of any scepticism. After noticing the loving way Melo speaks about his sister, even thoug he strongly disagrees with the things he said about women being like property, he wants to get to know Emma even more, if such a thing is possible.

"Be patient. Hard rock is not split in a day."

"No, it isn't." Elrond agrees.

"She might warm up to you, or she might not. It all depends on how deep her hurts run and whether she feels you were being honest when you expressed your desire to get to know her."

"Why would I not be honest about that?!"

"Because your timing is odd. For years you have not made yourself known as her father, kept our mother, whom we believed death, from us. But on the eve of her wedding to the most powerfull dwarvenking, you stand on her doorstep."

Elrond does not know what to say. He knows his motives to be pure, but he also sees how his timing could be explained otherwise.

"No need to explain to me." Melo says. "It is not I that needs convincing, nor am I the one that is difficult to convince."

Elrond nods, and while he gets lost in his own thoughts, Melo goes back to his own rooms.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Emma wakes up, she notices it is already dark, and her stomach rumbles a bit. But Thorin's tight embrace feels so warm that she does not want to get up. However, her movements have woken him, and he presses a kiss on top of her head while holding her closer, a need to hold and protect her overwhelming him.

"Do you want to eat?" he asks, his voice heavy with sleep.

"Maybe just something small."

He gets out of the bed, sticks his head around the door and orders the servant to bring some dinner.

"Thorin?"

"Hmmm?"

"Clothes?"

He looks down and sees that he is indeed naked. "I will put them on when he brings dinner." He says as he gets back into bed, pulling her back in his embrace.

Dinner must have been ready, because a mere ten minutes later, the servant knocks on the door. Thorin growls a bit, puts on some breeches and takes the serving tray into the room, not placing it on the table but on the bed.

"Dinner in bed?' she asks.

He smiles and lies down again. "Yes. Dinner in bed."

She picks at the food he serves her, eating small bites, while he looks at her.

"Emma, how did you get those scars on your back?" he asks tentatively.

She stiffens and looks down.

"Are they from the battle?"

She shakes her head. "You have seen how it was." She whispers.

He puts the tray aside and pulls her in his arms. "Your father?"

She jerks her head a bit, but says nothing, stiffening in his embrace.

"I will never let anyone hurt you again, azyungal. I promiss." He whispers.

"I always forget they are there, I would rather not talk about it."

He nods and presses a kiss on her head, holding her tightly, despite her unwillingness to let him do so.

The next five days they talk politely about shallow subjects, get re-acquinted, relax, read a bit and sleep. But she is unwilling to speak about sensitive subjects such as her youth or Elrond, and sometimes still stiffens as he touches her, although she does sleep in his arms, making it difficult for them to really get to know eachther. But on the sixth day of their honeymoon, she wakes up after am afternoon nap, caused by another one of his great massages, and feels his warm body against hers. Although his embrace makes her feel warm and safe, it had made her feel uncomfortable, especially feeling his private parts against her. But somehow now it gives her a whole new feeling; it makes her feel warm. Not in her chest, but down there. And then he moves his hand in his sleep a little down from her belly, and all she wants is for him to move it down further. He must somehow have noticed her arousal and willingness, because he slowly starts to kiss her neck. She pulls her hair away so it isn't in his way and brings her arm up to touch the back of his head. A soft gasp escapes her lips as his hand brushes over her nipple, causing it to erect a little.

His breathing becomes heavier, and she feels his member harden against her. He kisses her more passionately and pushes her on her back, devouring her lips before he takes one of her nipples in his mouth while cupping and massaging her other breast with his hand. As he softly licks and bites the small pearl, the warm sensation of his tongue sends spikes of pleasure through her body, she arches her back a little. He makes a trail of kisses to her belly and then further. She lifts her head to look at him, but he just smiles at her, his eyes dark with lust, and when she feels his tongue touching her slit, she can only let her head fall back into the pillow in pleasure. He puts his hands around her hips and his tongue starts to move around a sensitive place she did not even knew she had before a couple of days ago. She whimpers as her pleasure hightens, opening her legs further for him. As she feels a spike in pleasure coming, she moans and grips the bedsheets, all her muscles clenching when she peaks. He softly kisses her spot, causing her to whimper again, before he comes to lie on top of her, leaning on his elbows, softly kissing her lips. She feels his hard member against her entrance, and he looks at her.

"Do you-do you want-."

She nods and kisses him, taking his hand. When she feels him slowly entering, it is not quite as painfull as the first time, but still sensitive. Her hand clenches his and he looks at her.

"Just try to relax azyungal, and tell me when you are ready for me to move."

She kisses him, adjusts herself a little bit and then nods. When he starts to move, slowly but deliberately, the feeling is very different from the first time. It does not hurt that much anymore, but instead, makes her feel warm and wanting more. But then there is a knock on the door.

"Your highness…"

"Go away!" Thorin says as he looks at the door.

"But your highness…"

"GO AWAY!" Thorin bellowes.

It must have worked, because they hear nothing anymore. He looks at her again.

"Are you alright?"

She smiles. "I think I am."

He passionately kisses her and starts moving again, harder now, and then he hits another spot she was unaware of she had. A soft moan escapes her lips again, and he looks at her as he keeps moving in exactly the same way, evoking more moans and gasps from her. He takes one of her nipples in his mouth, sucking and softly nibbling at it.

Her pleasure hightens again and she digs her fingers in his back, wanting him more, wanting him all. He quickens his pace and a gulf of pleasure flows over her, completely taking her over, erasing everything but what she is feeling, making her moan out.

A mere two or three trusts later, he starts to groan, louder and louder, untill he almost screams as he comes undone, collapsing on top of her, panting heavily. They lie like that for a couple of minutes, him careful not to put too much weight on her, untill he gets on his elbows again and looks at her.

"Did you enjoy?"

"I did." She says with a bit of surprise in her voice.

He chuckles and gets of her, rolling to his side and taking her in his arms. "You have no idea how long I've been wanting this."

"You already had it a couple of days ago."

"I prefer a willing participant." He smiles, but with some sadness and regret in his voice.

She wants to say something, but there is another knock on the door.

"What?!" he yells irritated.

The servant, knowing better than to open the door, says:"There are visitors for you, they insist it is a matter of the highest urgency."

"Who are they?'

"Gandalf, lord Elrond, king Thranduil, king Bard and a woman."

"What do they want?"

"They did not say."

"I am not receiving visitors now, give them a room or let them come back in a couple of days."

"I believe that is not possible, your highness."

"What do you mean, not possible?"

"They—eeeh—they are in your study, refusing to leave untill they see you."

Thorin is now raging and he jumps out of bed and pulls the door slightly open and sticks his head around it, careful not to open it too far to keep anyone from seeing Emma. "You let them in my study?!"

"It was not so much a matter of letting them, but more of the wizard refusing to be stopped by anyone, your highness." The servant says trembling, taken back by the king's outraged look.

Thorin looks back at Emma, who is now laying on her side, supporting her head with her hand, and the sheet only barely covering her.

"Then tell them to speak to Fili, he is acting king for now."

"I have informed them of that, but they are adament about speaking to you personally."

He sighs. "Put them in the throne room, tell them they have five minutes." Thorin says before slamming the door shut again.

He looks at Emma one more time with longing in his gaze, and then starts to get dressed.

"Thorin?'

"Yes?"

"Do you, eeeh, are you sure you don't want me to cover myself?"

"That would depend." He chuckles. "If you leave this room, I would prefer for you to be dressed, but if you stay here, I don't think you absolutely _have_ to cover yourself."

She crooks an eyebrow. "You know what I mean. Do you want me to cover my face when others are around?"

He walks over to the bed and kisses her while cupping her face. "How can I deny the world the astonishing sight that is your face." He sighs.

She smiles, relieved to be rid of her vail, and watches him as he continues to get dressed

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thorin stumps through the hallways, pulling his hands through his hair to make it look at least a little presentable and then enters the throne hall and sits on his throne. He looks at his guests and knows it is going to be a long afternoon.

"Right, now what is so urgent that you need to disturb me?"

Gandalf steps forward. "Thorin, may I introduce king Bard, king Thranduil, lord Elrond and Lady Eliana, eeeh, friend of lord Elrond."

"I know most of them; you know as well as I do that Elrond is even staying here, so get on with it."

"We are sorry to disturb you so soon after your marriage, but this matter can not wait."

"Yes, I was informed of that, now get _on_ with it!" Thorin is really getting annoyed now.

"Would it perhaps be possible to speak somewhere more private than here, and with Balin present perhaps?"

"Fine." Thorin gruffs and turns to the servants. "Small meeting hall, food, Balin, Fili, Kili."

The servant bows and runs of, and Thorin gets up and stumps to the small meeting hall, expecting his guests to follow him. The small meeting hall is not exactly small, but it is private so no one can overhear them. He sits down and waves for his guests to do the same. Servants bring food and ale and Balin, Fili and Kili walk in and sit next to Thorin, who is now focussing on eating.

"How great to see you again Gandalf, king Thranduil, king Bard, lord Elrond, and miss-eeeh." Balin looks at Gandalf while Fili and Kili are joking and teasing their uncle.

"Balin,Fili, Kili, may I introduce lady Eliana, friend of lord Elrond."

"Lady Eliana. " Balin bows his head.

"So Gandalf, what is the purpose of this meeting?" Balin enquires.

"Well, as we discussed after the battle, lord Sauron is gaining in strength, building up armies, strengthening Angmar and Gundabad."

Balin nods while Thorin rolls his eyes, irritated that he is disturbed for yet another talk about Sauron.

"You also know that the kingdom of Melo's father lies next to Gundabad, and that he has allowed the lady of the Light to put protective spells around it so Sauron's armies can not enter our lands that way."

Balin nods again, the only one really paying attention, as Thorin is more focussed on his food and Fili and Kili keep poking his ribs and teasing him about his activities during his absence, forgetting the father of Thorin's wife is present and has elven hearing….

"Well, Melo's father is no longer allowing the lady to strengthen the spells, so our defence is getting weaker."

"You know, at the moment we do not have an army of sufficient strength to send warriors to our allies." Balin carefully says.

"I know." Gandalf nods

"Then why are you bothering me?" Thorin gruffs, pushing his nephew's elbows away.

"You see, Melo's father may have told Melo that he is not actually Emma's father, but he did not know whom her father was. But now that Elrond has made that known, Melo wrote to his father, whom consequently immediately forbade all elves from entering his kingdom."

Thorin is getting up. "Go talk to Melo then, this does not sound like anything I can help with."

"Please wait, Thorin. You personally might not be able to help, but we need your wife's help."


	13. Parler

"Emma? What do you want with Emma?" Thorin asks, while Fili and Kili have ceased their teasing and are now staring at the wizard intently, waiting to hear what he wants with the girl they see as their sister.

"I thought that was obvious; we need her to talk to Melo." Gandalf says plainly.

Thorin purses his lips and clenches and unclenches his jaw while thinking of what Gandalf has asked him. War has to be avoided at almost any cost, as he is obligated to send soldiers, soldiers he doesnt have to spare, in aid of his allies. Damn treaty!

"You can try, but I highly doubt she will help you." He says, trying to show his good will but not give them too much.

"Perhaps if you were to support us in this?" Gandalf suggests tentatively. "You know how serious this matter is, and Melo has proven to be completely unmoved by our arguments, as is his father. Emma is our last chance to settle this matter before we have to resort to moving our armies there in order to ensure our freedom. And if we go, you will also have to send your army, if I recall the details of our treaty correctly."

Thorin nods and turns to one of the servants, ordering him to get Emma.

"I am very sorry, your highness, but her highness is currently in the training pits. Would you like me to fetch her nonetheless?"

"No. We'll go there." And he gets up, followed by his guests and visitors, and makes his way to the practice halls. There, they find Emma training with Jeron, currently working on different types of attacks. She is rapidly hitting pads attached to his hands, which he keeps holding in different places.

At first she doesn't notice them, but when she sees Jeron looking behind her, she turns around. She takes her gloves of and crook an eyebrow at Thorin. "Your highness?"

"Azyungal, immediately back to training, I see." He says with an indulgant smile.

"Yes, I went to my brother first, but he did not have much time to catch up, he had some urgent letters to send." She replies with a smile. In truth, she already knows why they are here; she had just expected them to be more polite and wait untill dinner or something. Her brother had informed her when she went to see him after Thorin left their chambers to receive their guests.

"So you already spoke to Melo?"

"Hmm, I did."

"Then you know why we are here."

"They have sent you on a fool's quest, Thorin. It is not happening. Not me asking Melo and not Melo permitting them."

"I would urge you to reconsider that, as it would be both highly costly and highly dangerous if I have to send my army to force Melo and his father."

"That is Erebor statebusiness, I do not meddle in that, especially not if there is a conflict with Melo's business." She says, respectfully adding 'Thanu men' at the end; his kingly title in Khuzdul, and a small bow of her head.

"You will have to, seeing that you are queen now." he replies, also adding 'Athumen' at the end, but in a more sarcastic tone, mocking her pretence politeness.

"No." She shakes her head adamantly and crosses her arms.

"Don't make me force you, azyungal. I'm not going to risk to lives of my soldiers all because you refuse to talk to your brother!"

"You want to force me to do this?! Try it, see what happens. I will not be used to go against my brother; not now, not ever, no matter the stakes!" she says, the volume of her voice rising with every word she speaks and her cheeks red in anger.

His already thin worn patience is stretched to its limit. If she doesn't talk to her brother, he will have to send his army at great costs, in terms of both in human lives and gold. He feels pressured and cornered, neither of which is a feeling he likes. Unfortunetely, it is his wife he takes it out on. "Get changed, join us for dinner and do what they ask of you!" he barks at her, not caring what others might think.

She squints her eyes, barely holding herself back from throwing her boxing gloves at his face but instead tossing them into a corner, the gloves flying dangerously close past Elrond's head on it's way to said corner, and then walks away.

Once in her bedroom, she rings for her handmaidens, ordering Shana to get her brother and Jalila and Mina to dress her. When Thorin also enters the royal chambers half an hour later, he finds Melo sitting in the antechamber and one of Emma's handmaidens informing him in a rather short tone that Emma is bathing.

"Why do you not want to help them?" Thorin asks Melo when the handmaiden has left and he also takes a seat in the antechamber.

"Because my father has every right to refuse. It may not be correct of him, just as it wasn't correct of him to withhold the truth from us, but he has every right."

"Have you considered how this may affect others?"

"I have. Let them put their protective spells somewhere else than our borders, but for some reason they refuse to do that. That's their choice, so their fault." He shrugs his shoulders. "Both that woman and that elf have made my father look like a fool, I'm not going to do anything to help them."

"So this isn't about anger or pride then?" Thorin asks sarcastically.

"It might be like that for Emma, but for me it is about honor. How would you feel if Emma got pregnant with some elf?"

Thorin nods, but says nothing, and so they sit in silence.

An hour later Thorin walks to the bedroom again. He sees his wife has finally gotten out of the bath and into her dress, and her maids are now doing her hair. As she sees him, she looks at him with nothing but disdain, as she had done when she left his company. He wants to say something to her to make things better between them but he has no idea what. So he just informs her that her brother is waiting for her. She ignores him and her maids start on her make-up.

Half an hour later, she comes out of the room, looking at Melo. He gets up and brings their foreheads together, whispering to her. She smiles fainthly and they walk to the meeting hall, followed by Jalila and a stern looking Thorin.

**"He told me to talk to you, you were right."** Emma starts.

**"Highly annoying they got Thorin on their side."**

**"Listen to them, but refuse help. They probably won't expect you to be there, as they want me to persuade you."**

**"Right, let them take care of their own business."**

**"And after they leave, you will take me away from here."**

Melo stops and looks shocked at his sister. **"Take you away? What about your husband?"**

**"If he acts like this to me, he is no husband, but more like father."**

**"Like father?! What did he do?"**

**"He screamed at me in public, bringing those elves to my practice and making me look like a petulant child. And he wants to come between you and me."**

Melo glances back at Thorin angrily **"And where will you go when you leave?** They have resumed walking.

**"I'll figure something out."**

**"I will give you the funds, of course, but I don't think you can come back home. And perhaps you should think about it a little more, take a night or two to be sure."**

**"Believe me, I have no desire to go back to father. Perhaps I will live in a city of men, Gondor or something."**

Thorin's head jerks up as he hears the word 'Gondor', but he says nothing and keeps walking.

**"Did he…did he act dishonorably durind the honeymoon?"** Melo asks tentatively. He really doesn't want to talk about it, but can not ignore it.

**"No, why?"** She asks curtly, remembering how she felt during the wedding night.

**"Elrond said something about it, but never mind. We'll think of a solution, but first: lets get through this."**

**"And you'll keep them away from me? **

**"I'll try, but I have little to say here." **

They enter the small meeting hall where Melo sits next to her, both showing no emotion, while Thorin's face shows his annoyance and worry.

"Emma" Gandalf starts. "We are so happy you have decided to come."

Emma just raises an eyebrow and Jalila steps in: "Etiquette states that you may not adress her highness before she has adressed you." She says to Gandalf.

Thorin's head jerks up and he looks at his wife. She had not invoked her right to make people wait untill spoken to untill now. She didn't mind with most of the wedding guests congratiolating her, she hadn't mind when Dwalin spoke to her, Melo, her handmaidens, her trainer. But he had to acknowledge that it is her right. A right she must be using to work towards some goal, he muses.

"I believe I have already spoken with Emma on several occasions, and we just want to explain once more how important it is that you and your brother help us." Gandalf replies Jalila

"You have not spoken with her after her marriage, so she has not adressed you yet. Please redirect your questions to someone else."

Gandalf wants to say something else, but Melo interjects: "You have explained it already, Gandalf, and the elves have explained it to me, endlessly. I have told them to put their spells around our kingdom, but that did not seem good enough for them. So what are we really doing here?"

Lady Galadriel gets up. "We can not put the spells around your kingdom, because then Sauron would still be able to enter the lands of good, rendering out spells useless. We can only make a barrier between good and evil."

Melo raises an eyebrow and Galadriel carries on explaining why she should be allowed access to his lands, going on for what seems to be an eternity, again.

**"What do you make of this, Emma?"** Melo whispers to Emma, almost rudely interrupting Galadriel, as he finds himself incapable of feigning attention for what the lady of the light has to say any longer.

Emma shrugs **"I just want to leave and have no desire whatsoever to even think about this mess, nor do I have any idea why they bother me with it."** she says, still showing no emotion.

**"Perhaps I should smother her in her sleep with a pillow so we can enjoy some peace and quiet. Do you think killing off elven ladies would be frowned upon?"**

Emma can't help herself and burst out in a melodious, chrystal clear laugh as Melo is grinning. But when she sees the puzzled faces of her husband's guests, she composes herself and turns her attention back to Galadriel, biting her lip to prevent further laughing.

**"If you wish for me to cease my explanation, perhaps you might give me an answer."** Galadriel says indignantly, but with a slight undertone of amusement in her voice.

The sudden realisation that Galadriel can not only understand them but also speak their language causes a tiny amused smile on Emma's lips and Melo's cheeks to redden.

He wants to say something, but Galadriel interrupts. **"And do not deny it out of anger of past occurences or anger about this whole situation. Things might have been handled wrong, especially towards you, my child"** she says while looking at Emma **"But it should not cause this world to be taken over by evil."**

Jalila wants to step in, but Emma already answers Galadriel: **"Do not call me your child, as I am not, and do not presume to know what has happened or what our motives may be, for you know nothing of it."** Emma says, still holding a blank face.

In the meantime, everyone is looking at the conversation that is going on between Galadriel, Emma and Melo, frustrated they do not know what is being said. Thorin looks at Jalila, who is standing behind Emma's chair, but she makes an effort to avoid looking back at him.

**"On the contrary, I know very well what has happened. Elrond was married to my daughter untill her untimely departure for the undying lands, so I know how the love between him and your mother has come to exist and has flourished in Rivendell."**

**"We do not have a mother."** Both siblings say in unison.

**"Her fulfillment of the role might be questioned, but your mother she is. However, I do not wish to meddle in this family affair, that is all for you to decide. I do wish to urge you to allow me access to your kingdom."** she says, now looking at Melo, who seems to be in deep thought.

-Do not let anger and disappointment cloud your judgement. Do not run away from this, nor your husband, as you have done before.—Emma hears in her head, knowing it is Galadriel speaking to her.

-I know you do not let anyone treat you like this, and I also know where that comes from. Just know that all present here that have hurt you, deeply regret it, even your husband. If you would look at his face, you would see the worry in it.—

But Emma does not move.

Galadriel smiles a bit. –He is currently worrying about what you and your brother have discussed about Gondor, and hoping you won't leave him.—

Still nothing from Emma

-He is trying to look at you neck, seeing if his mark is still there. Is that why you covered it with your hair?—

\- Ask your brother to discuss the matter of his kingdom in private, leaving the choice up to him. That way, you can both point at the other when asked who gave in. And afterwards, you will have the support of the elves to go whereever you want, or to stay here.—

-I need nothing from elves. Work your witchcraft on my brother if you must, I'll wash my hands of this.—

"Stop hiding behind your brother and your husband and your silly etiquette and get a grip on real life, Emma!" Galadriel has finally lost her patience, but with rather adverse effects.

Thorin, Melo, Fili and Kili all jump up and start cursing and yelling at Galadriel in Khuzdul, not realising she can not understand them.

"Enough!" Gandalf bellowes, effectively shutting everyone up. Emma looks at Melo and winks with a little smile on the corners of her lips. For a moment he is confused, but then he also smiles as he gets it: it was her plan all along to make Galadriel lose her patience. She leans over to him and whispers in his ear:

**"You have traded me for some profitable ties with Erebor, now you are going to trade the right to access your lands. Thorin will accept, seeing how angry Galadriel has made him."**

He looks at her, highly amused. **"Trade for what?"**

She looks back with a very serious face. **"For the elves to leave Erebor and relinquish their claim on me."**

Now he is hit with the full realisation. **"Damned Emma, you are supposed to corner them, not me! I am supposed to be getting something out of this!"**

A smug smile, showing how pleased she is with herself, appears on her face. **"Do you know what I have come to realise recently, nadad? When everyone thinks of themselves, everyone is thought of. And I have thought of you much more than you have thought of me, so now it is time the tables turn. You owe me."**

He actually grins. **"This one is yours namad, it was fun playing again."** and then he turns to the others, to his surprise seeing amusement on Galadriel's face.

"If all rights to Emma are relinquished and Elrond, his sons and, eeeeh, his friend leave Erebor, you will have free access to my father's lands, providing you make sure he does not find out. If he does, the agreement is null and void." He says while leaning back in his chair, still wondering how he had missed his sister's last move. But then, she had always been better at emotional blackmail than him, having far more reason for it, he thinks with sadness overflowing him.

For several moments, it is completely silent in the hall, but then Elrond speaks up. "Three months. The arrangement made before signing the marriage contract will stay in place for three months. After that, it is up to Emma."

"Two months. You will have untill Durin's day."

Elrond nods, but adds: "Sindarin lessons will begin tomorrow."

Melo wants to say something, but is prevented by doing by Emma who kicks his leg under the table, so he just nods and looks at Thorin. "King Thorin, your approval?"

Thorin nods, and with that, all gathered get up and start to leave the hall. Fili walks up to Emma.

"If I recall correctly, you already speak Sindarin."

"Yes." She muses.

"Then why did you not say anything when Elrond said he will start teaching you tomorrow?"

"So he doesn't know I can understand their conversations and the hour per day he has with me is verbal."

"Why does it matter if his lessons are verbal, would you not rather do anything, minimize conversation?"

"He can not say anything to me before I have spoken to him." Emma snickers and starts walking towards the exit of the hall, where Thorin is waiting for her.

When he takes her arm, the smile disappears off her face and is replaced by disdain.

"Will you speak to me?" Thorin asks her.

"No" She says angrily, and she jerks her arm out of his grip

He grabs her arm again, holding her back from the others.

"Are you—are you going to leave me?"

She says nothing and just looks the other way.

"Tell me you won't leave me, even if you are forever upset with me and never speak to me again, it would be a thousand times better than to loose you again."

"Perhaps you should have thought of that before you acted like my dad and allowed those fools to speak to me!" she says, and walks away.

Lady Galadriel walks back around the corner, wanting to speak to Emma. When Thorin and Emma see her, they stop speaking, not wanting her to listen in on their private conversations.

"There you are. Would you take a walk with me, so we can talk?"

"I do not believe you need a walk for that. Why don't I just sit in my room and you enter my head against my will again?" Emma sneers.

"Come, I wish to tell you about your parents. Well, your father mostly. If you do not wish to walk, then perhaps we can sit somewhere?"

"I have had a really long, tiresome day, and want to take a nap. Let's not do this, you will find it will be a waste of your time." Emma answers curtly.

"Later is also fine, I shall wait for you after dinner."

"I will be having dinner in my room."

"Perfect, I shall come there."

Emma walks off, having had enough from everyone wanting to talk to her or wanting her to do something. When she enters her bedroom, she can only fall on the bed, immediately falling asleep.

Thorin had wanted to follow her, but is stopped by Elrond.

"I have missed too much, Thorin, I need to get her back and you know as well as I do that that will be quite difficult in two months."

"You have missed so much because you left her there. If you had wanted her, you should have acted sooner." Thorin responds dryly to the elf's emotional plea.

"You married and bedded a teenager, without her wanting so, I have been informed! You have no right whatsoever to keep her from me!" Elrond yells in frustration, shedding his usual composure.

Thorin turns red in anger and is ready to start a fight with Elrond, but the elf apologizes.

"I am sorry, I should not have said that. This is all very—difficult for me, as it is to you and Emma, I am sure."

"You have one hour per day, for the rest just leave her alone." Thorin gruffs, and he walks away.

As he enters the bedroom, he sees her lying on the bed, clearly deep asleep, and sits in one of the chairs in the room, looking at her. He would be devastated if she actually left him, and he deeply regrets how he has acted to her this afternoon. He should just have stayed out of it, telling his guests to talk to Melo instead of Emma.

When the sun starts to set, and it is almost time for dinner, Emma starts waking up, Thorin looking at her the first thing she sees as she opens her eyes.

"Did you sleep well?'' he asks carefully

She looks at him with disdain again and the gets up and sits at her vanity, trying to fix her hair. He comes to stand next to her.

"Azyungal, I am-I am sorry for what has happened, I truely am, and for my part in it."

She just scoffs, not even looking at him.

"You must believe me, I am. I should have—handled things differently.

"Differently?! You should have sent them away in the first place. You should have told them to stay away from me, you should not have brought them to my training, you should not have yelled at me in public, you should not have forced me to listen to them when I had already said I wouldn't and you should most definently not have allowed them to stay after today! I am being used as a bargaining chip and you just don't care!" She shrieks

He backs a bit, surprised by her sudden outburst.

"You are right. Shall I send them away now?'

"Nice king you would make then. First approving an agreement and then changing your mind." She sneers.

"I will, if it makes you feel better. "

"If it makes you stay." He adds.

"They have nothing to do with me staying or not."

"I know, but I want you to see that I love you, that I need you."

He kneels next to her now. "I will do anything, everything that I need to do to make you stay."

"Sure, now you will, but not when it counted. Not when it came down to it. Then you just betrayed me, making me look like a petulant child."

"Azyungal…lets have dinner together, and we'll talk about it."

"I'm having dinner here and you should eat with your guests."

As she says it, a servant knocks on the door, bringing in her dinner.

"Dinner is served downstairs, your highness."

"Thank you, I will be right there." Thorin replies as the servant leaves.

"I will see you later then, I'll be here right after dinner."

He starts to walk away. "Don't bother, that lake-witch wants to talk to me and could not be deterred. Incessive woman. She will be here after dinner."

He nods and walks to the dining hall.


	14. Conversation

Upon entering the dining hall, all look at him expectantly.

"Is Emma not with you, uncle?" Kili asks carefully.

"No, she had prior engagements."

"Probably making a head start with her Sindarin." Kili grinns under his breath.

"And Melo?" Fili asks, his voice thick because he is trying to hold back his laughter.

"How should I know!" Thorin says irritated.

As dinner had already been served, they were all just waiting for Thorin and perhaps Emma and Melo, so everyone starts as soon as he sits down, talking softly amongst themselves. Thorin just quickly eats his food and then gets up again and leaves, quickly followed by Elrond.

"Thorin, wait!" Elrond days as he quickly walks after him."I—well, I wanted to talk to you about Emma."

"You already did that, you made me sound like a pervert, remember?!." Thorin grunts.

"I know, I was taken over by my emotion. And a bit surprised by—cultural differences, I presume."

"She does not want you here, she does not want to talk to you and she does not see you as her father. What else do you want to talk about?" Thorin sneers.

"Could you just tell me what she likes to do, or anything about her?"

Thorin tilts his head a bit, like he is trying to decide on that. He thinks about his own child that will be born soon, and he would hate not to be a part of the little dwarflings life. "She excersizes in the morning and does other things in the afternoon. In the evening she either sits with me, my nephews or with her handmaidens and her trainer."

"What sports does she do?"

"She starts with running at dawn, then boxing, and then sometimes swordfighting, riding or bow practice."

"Right, thank you." He says with a bow, and walks back to the dining hall.

Thorin goes to his rooms, finding his wife standing on the balcony. He takes a blanket from the bed and walks out to put it around her.

"It is getting cold."

She nods and pulls the blanket tighter around herself. She had been thinking about what to do, about how to tun this situation to her advantage. She has already come to the conclusion that having Elrond here can be leverage against both Thorin and Melo, as he can provide her with another place to live and a position. She can also use Elrond, as he is waiting almost desperately for her to talk to him. And she has to admit it amuses her a bit. But what about Thorin? She has not yet come to a conclusion about that.

"Have you thought of what I said?"

"You said many things."

"And have you thought about any of them?"

She sighs. "What do you want, Thorin?"

He stands behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. "I want you to tell me that you'll stay. I want you to want to stay."

"So you can push me around?"

"No, so I can love you and never leave your side, and to help you through all this."

"I am in this mess because of you."

"You are in this mess because of your-because of the elves and Gandalf."

"You did not send them away, but instead caved to their rediculous demands. Without that, I would be blissfully unaware of everything."

"How long would that have lasted?"

She says nothing and keeps staring into the dark night.

"Come on, I will make you blissfully unaware of everything again." He says as he picks her up and carries her to the bed.

There, he slowly takes of her dress and turns her on her belly. He starts massaging her back, almost instantly relaxing her. But she tenses up as his hands go over her scars, so he moves his hands back up again.

"You know this could be a good thing for you, right?" Thorin says tentatively.

"How is elves coming here and telling me he is my father and I should not be married to you a good thing?"

He softly kisses her lower back. "He could be a good father to you, someone who loves you."

She shrugs. "I don't want him to love me, I don't need him."

He says nothing and continues massaging her untill she is like butter in his hands.

"You know this does not mean I forgive you, right?" she murmers.

"I know." He says, but with a small smile on his face. "Just a moment."

He walks out of the room and tells the servant they are unavailable for anyone, remembering what happened last time.

He goes back to the bed, locking the door, and resumes massaging Emma, who seems to almost fall asleep from relaxation.

"I really missed you this afternoon, sitting so close to me and yet so far." He murmers as he presses kisses up and down her spine.

"Hmm."she utters.

His hands slide down her back, over her ass, resting just below her cheeks, his thumbs almost touching her slit.

"Somehow I have gotten quite fond of you being close to me al the time." He murmers again, his hands slowly sliding closer to the apex between her thighs.

"Hmmm." She utters again, but sounding much more positive now.

His fingers slide up and down her slit.

"I just don't feel comfortable anymore without you."

She utters a small moan as his fingers touch her clit.

He circles it with one finger and slowly enters her with another.

"It just feels—lonely."

She turns around and wraps her legs around his waist. He goes back to circling her clit and moving his finger inside of her, fastening his rhytm.

"Is there anything, really anything I could do to make it up to you?" he says in a low voice.

She moans 'Yes, yes!' as her pleasure reaches its peak.

He smiles and bend over her, softly kissing her lips.

"What can I do, azyungal? Tell me." He whispers.

"This does not mean you're forgiven, it was a temporary lapse of judgement." Emma says indignantly.

He takes his clothes of and lies on top of her again, slowly entering her.

"And this?' he says when he is fully sheated inside of her.

"No."

He starts to move, remembering how to pleasure her. She gasps as she feels the friction.

"And this?"

"No" she moans

He quickens his pace, looking in her eyes.

"And this?' he asks breathlessly, dangerously close to coming himself.

"No." She moans again, pushing with her fingers on his asscheeks to make him go faster.

"And this?" he groans, following the pace she sets.

"No" she almost screams out as she comes.

Feeling her muscles clench around him makes him come instantly too, and with a groan he lies down on top of her.

"Really? Nothing at all?" He says, panting.

"No!" she giggles

"But it does put me in a more favorable light, does it not?" he smiles at her.

"Perhaps."

He kisses her again and rolls off of her.

"What time is it? Galadriel is supposed to come by."

"I told the servant not to let anyone in and bolted the door."

Emma laughs. "Then she is probably now sitting in out antechamber, entertained by our noises."

"The door is practically soundproof, so we could just fall asleep like this, she will get it eventually."

Emma laughs again, but gets up. "If I don't talk to her now, I will never be rid of her. Put some covers over yourself, I need to get dressed."

"I do not see the relation between those two things."

"Unless you want my handmaidens to see a whole new side of you, you will just do as I ask." She smirks

"Right. Do you want me to come with you?" Thorin asks as he puts the covers over him while Emma rings the bell for her maidens and unbolts the door.

"As you like."Emma shrugs

A moment later they walk in, trying not to look at Thorin, close Emma's dress and fix her hair and make-up. Once that is done, they leave the room as fast as possible, followed by Emma.

She walks into the antechamber and does find Galadriel there. When she has left, he realises she never told him she would stay….

"Emma, how good to see you." The elf says after having looked at her face for a moment. "I really want to talk to you about your father, perhaps giving you more insight as to the motives of your parents."

"Galadriel, lets get one thing clear: I do not wish to speak to you, and he is not my father and she is not my mother. If you insist on speaking about them, just use their names or something."

"Come sit next to me then, and I shall tell you about Elrond."

"Perhaps it is better to sit in the sitting room, it is more private." Emma says coldly, and she leads the way.

When they are sitting, Galadriel starts.

"Elves can have more than one great love, unlike dwarves, who have only one true One. After Elrond's wife, my daughter, went to the undying lands, he was very unhappy for a long time, their children all that held him back from also leaving. But when he returned from a trade mission one day, I saw a change in him. He somehow seemed lighter, less troubled. He remained that way, becoming a little lighter everytime he went back."

She pauses a bit.

"I adviced him against it. I knew Eliana was married and that her husband would not take kindly to these things, even if it was just love and nothing else. He tried for a while, but in the end, he could not resist going back. He was terrified when he found out she was pregnant, and I can imagine she was as well. He wanted to go and take her away from there, with force if necessary, but I forbade it."

Emma lifts an eyebrow and Galadriel laughs.

"I know, things go differently in Elvenculture than they do for dwarves, and I was the head of his house back then. Anyway, I told him to wait untill Eliana had given birth and was able to make a sound decision. But it was too late by then: on his way there he found her in some inn and she told him how her husband made her leave without her children. He took her with him to Rivendell, and after her recovery they tried to make a plan on how to get you and Melo back. But again, I forbade it. I know enough on dwarvenculture to realise it would mean war, and I did not want to risk the life of my kin for two children, one of them not even ours."

They are disturbed by Thorin entering the room, but he says nothing and just sits next to Emma, placing one hand possesively on her thigh.

Galadriel sighs. "That is why Eliana can't stand me, or hates me, actually. They had to wait a long time, but they talked about you a lot, always calling you their little star. Many years later, word arrived that you joined Thorin's quest, and we were all waiting for you in Rivendell. You can imagine the disappointment when you weren't there and Gandalf told us you has left the company. Elrond rode to Erebor to aid in the battle, but again he did not see you and he heard that you had already left. Nothing was heard of you for a while, untill Elrond heard that you were to marry Thorin. As everything went so fast, we were not able to be here earlier than the eve before your wedding, making your introduction to Elrond awkward to say the least. And during your honeymoon, I received word of the problems in Melo's kingdom with the protection of the borders. So it came that our visit coincided with the need for someone to reason with Melo, perhaps giving you the impression that you talking to Melo is more important to them than them talking to you."

Emma just raises her eyebrow again.

"But you have to believe me that they have been waiting for you all these years, and so have Elrond's other children. I think you will like them." Galadriel finishes her story.

"I highly doubt that. So what is your real goal, Galadriel, besides casually telling me Eliana is my mother?"

"You did not know that." The elf ascertains

"I did not, but it matters little, as the agreements only includes Elrond, and not her."

"I want you to give him a chance; at least give him the opportunity to talk to you."

"You know what is interesting?" Emma says. "Everyone just talks about what they want and what they need and what they feel, but no one has asked me what I want, need or feel."

Both Galadriel and Thorin have the decency to look a bit ashamed.

"I know, and I am sorry for that. And if you really want us to leave, at least I shall, but I can not control what Elrond and Eliana do, as I am no longer head of their house."

"You know very well, Galadriel, that I can not say such a thing, as my husband and brother have already made binding agreements." Emma sneers.

"The message will come across, agreement or not."

"If that was the case, it would already have. Why don't you try to persuade Melo to talk to Elrond's, eeeh, how should we call her? I think whore would be correct but perhaps a little crude. The euphemistic consort then?" Emma coldly says.

Galadriel chooses to ignore the sneer at Eliana, whom indeed is not married in the traditional sense to Elrond but does have relations with him. "I have spoken with Melo, but he is still too angry at your mother for leaving him behind. He will not speak to her, as I have a feeling you will neither."

"I will think of what you have said, lady Galadriel. If you would excuse me, I am feeling rather tired." Emma says, and she leaves the room.

Galadriel looks questioning at Thorin, surprised by Emma's sudden departure, but he just looks back at her, forcing her to admit she does not understand what is going on.

"What happened, Thorin, why did she leave so suddenly?" she finally asks him.

"I thought someone with an insight as great as yours would know." He smirks

"I am still surprised sometimes." She says with a fainth smile

"That's nice. It is good to be surprised sometimes."

"Well?"

"I have some idea, but it is not up to me to talk about it. I have said it before and I will say it again: I am not getting in the middle of this anymore. If you want something, ask Emma yourself."

"Then how do you see your role in this?"

"Probably as someone who has clear the mess up after she has sent you away in two months." He says

"And is she likely to?"

"That depends on how persistent you all are and how curious she is."

"That is something, king Thorin. Are you getting in the middle after all? An excellent strategist as yourself would not just give this information up for no reason."

He laughs. "I am not getting in the middle of anything, I am just-protecting my wife's best interests. And now, I shall also retire. Goodnight, my lady."

She gets up. "Goodnight, Thorin."

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Elrond looks at his former mother-in-law as she enters his sitting room.

"Well?" he says.

"It was, lets say, interesting. She did not know Eliana is her mother."

"And?"

"She barely reacted to it, and I have absolutely no idea if she will speak to you or even warm up to you."

"You mean to tell me that you have not been able to sense anything of what she wants?"

"Not nothing, but very little. It is strange, I can not read her like other people. She is too—shielded of, sort of speak. But Thorin did say something interesting."

"Knowingly or unknowingly?"

"Knowingly, I am sure. Someone like him does not lets his tongue slip in a polite conversation."

"What did he say then?"

"He didn't day it with so many words, but it is all about persistancy and making her curious."

"So he does want to help us then?"

"I do not think he will do anything to straightforward help us, but he does not seem opposed to the idea of us staying here a bit longer. However, you must remember that she is his One, but we have no idea if he is hers." She sighs and looks at Elrond. "Perhaps you should try to fix this yourself, instead of sending others."

He sighs and rubs his nose. "I am going to bed."

As it is her third conversation partner that goes to bed while talking to her, Galadriel can't help but think that she must be boring people tonight.


	15. 15 Lessons

The next morning, Emma gets up and changes into her training clothes. She puts on a soft, warm vest with a hood as she feels a cold wind coming from the windows. She takes her normal route and soon finds herself running up the mountain path again. She pulls the hood of her vest over her head and closes the vest, shivering in the cold wind despite of her physical exertions. As she arrives at the plateau where she normally takes a break before turning around, she is startled when she sees someone standing there. Surprise quickly turns into anger however as she sees it is Elrond again. He looks at her with a mix of hope, intrigue and vulnerability on his normally hard face, but she ignores it and just turns around, running down the path again. However, soon she finds him running next to her, though struggling to keep up and looking odd while running in his formal robes.

She does not pay attention to him, and when they reach Erebor, she continues to the training pits for her boxing lesson. But there she sees Eliana standing next to the practice ring. She quickly turns around and goes to the stables. The stable master saddles her horse for her, and she rides off. The wind in her face helps her to clear her thought. She feels even more animosity towards Eliana than towards Elrond, but she does not fully understand why. Perhaps because she had been there with her and her brother, and should have taken them with her. Or maybe it had something to do with the difference between the love a woman should have for her children and the love a man should have for his children.

That thought brings her back to Thorin telling her he was going to have a child with his former consort. She had not thought of it ever since they started courting. She explores her feelings on the subject, but finds very little, except for the definite thought that she is not going to take care of the child, especially as long as it was a baby. Which makes her think that she is probably not ready for children of her own, and that she should visit a healer to prevent such a thing from happening. Or maybe talk to Thorin about it first."

When she looks around, she sees she is already quite far from Erebor, and it is almost noon. She turns the horse around, but does not urge it to go fast, thankfull for some rest and peace to think. But then she sees Thorin, Fili, Kili, Dwalin and, to her surprise, Elrond riding up to her, looking very worried, and she stops. When they are almost next to her, Thorin jumps of his horse and runs to her.

"Where have you been?! Has anything happened?"

She looks surprised. "I was riding, why should anything have happened?"

Thorin sighs deeply in relief. "Thank Mahal! Eliana told me you ran away from the practice ring when you saw her, and we couldn't find you anywhere, untill the stablemaster told me that you took one of the horses but did not bring an escort."

"I did not run away." She sneers. "I just decided to go riding instead of boxing."

Thorin smirks a bit and gets on his pony. "Lead on then, show us what you got."

She looks back at him and smiles before softly kicking her horse in the flanks. The beast has gotten used to her over the years, and knows what is expected of him, and before long it is galopping onwards, leaving the others behind. An hour or so later they arrive at Erebor's stables, and she has to wait at least two minutes before the men arrive. As they do, she is standing there with a smug smile.

"Finally." Dwalin groans. "Something we don't have to hold back in."

She laughs out loud, knowing the joke to be a hidden compliment.

She walks to her room and draws a bath. She almost moans as she gets in, the warm water relaxing her overworked muscles. She lies still for about 15 minutes, but then realises she is quite hungry. She gets out of the bath and rings for her handmaidens to come and dress her. She picks a black dress with a tight bodess and a flaring skirt, not much unlike her other dresses, but with a little bigger clevage, only barely suitable for wearing during daytime. Her hair is done in a tight updo, but she leaves her make-up casual, not wanting to look as if she is going to a ball or something. Lastly, she puts her diamond earrings in and puts her ring on, and then she walks to the dining hall, accompanied by her handmaidens. They take a table together, as Emma is not sure if Thorin is coming, and are soon joined by Jeron. They talk about everything that has happened, causing the maidens and Jeron to gasp for air.

Their talk is interrupted as the food is served and Fili and Kili join their table.

"Well, auntie, that was some really fine riding this morning."

"Whatever you do, Kili, never, ever, call me auntie or anything in that direction."

He laughs as he stuffs a roll in his mouth.

"Is uncle not here?' Fili asks.

"I have no idea where he is. Did you need him for something special?"

"Not really, just some business."

"I have to see him myself later, I will tell him you were looking for him."

"Emma, does it bother you they are here?' Kili asks.

"Who?' Emma asks back to win time.

"Your, eeh, the elves."

"It is not my problem, they are Thorin's guests. I only have to see one of them for an hour per day, and he can not talk to me."

"But certainly you must have a feeling about it?" Jeron insists.

"Yes, lets make lunch a session in which we all share our feelings, would that not be really nice?" Emma says sarcastically.

"Come on, there has to be something of a feeling under that cold shell of yours." Jalila laughs.

Emma sighs. "I am being observed literally all day long. I can not do anything without someone looking what I do or what I am interested in. And then everyone starts to pretend they like what I like. This morning, Elrond ran with me, in his ceremonial robes. And then, Thorin pretended to like horse racing. He hates horses!"

They all laugh.

"Just stay in your rooms for a couple of days." Fili suggests.

"Besides that it would drive me crazy, I don't even get peace in there. There is either someone coming to visit to talk to me, or your uncle keeps staring at me and asking me how I'm doing."

"Ugh, I really don't want to know that about my uncle!" Kili says, pretending to vomit.

"That's not what I mean!" Emma squeeks out as her face turns red and the others laugh.

"You know what, let us take you out tonight. To an inn or something. It will take your mind of things."Fili says, while the others nod.

"That would be fun." Emma says hesitantly. "But how will you get your uncle to agree?"

"I won't, you will. Just ask him, he won't say no in fear of you getting upset again."

"Now you make me out to be a spoiled brat who gets temper tantrums every five minutes!"

"No, not tantrums. You just walk away from every coversation you don't like, and you did break lord Elrond's nose." Kili jokes.

Emma waves her hand. "All completely reasonable given the circumstances. I will go ask if my brother will also come. I have not seen him since yesterday. I don't even think he left his rooms."

"Tonight then, be ready at nine, and don't look too royal if you don't want to be observed al evening."

Emma laughs and walks to Melo's room. She knocks softly, and enters as she hears him.

**"Nadad, what are you doing, hiding in your rooms?"**

He gets up from the bed.** "I just don't feel like being stared at all the time, and I had to write to my generals."**

**"I have just the thing for you then! We're going to an inn tonight, just Fili, Kili, my handmaidens, Jeron, you and me."**

He smiles. **"You will never get Thorin to agree."**

**"If he does, will you come?"**

** "I will, of course. Someone has to look after my baby sister." **

She makes a face at him. ** "I will go and arrange it right now, be sure to be ready at nine." **

She almost runs to her rooms, hoping to find Thorin there. She walks into the bedroom and sees he is changing into some fresh clothes. She gives him a soft kiss on his cheek and sits on the bed, watching him take his clothes off.

"Thorin?' she says in her sweetest voice, playing with her hair.

"Yes?"

"Would you mind terribly if I go out with your nephews, my brother, my handmaidens and Jeron tonight?"

He swiftly turns around. "Go out where?"

"Just for a drink, to get away from everyone here."

"From me?"

"Of course not from you, you know what I mean."

"Then why exactly am I not invited?"

"You know what happens if you go somewhere, everyone just stares at you."

He grins, but then looks serious again.

"I would rather you not."

"Do you not trust me, or do you think I am still a little child?"

"Of course not!" he says, a little bit of panic in his voice. "On second thought, it might actually be a good idea. But take some protection with you."

"A knife or something, you mean?"

"No, a Dwalin."

Emma thinks about it. Dwalin is not too bad, more of an older brother than a guard.

"Sure, will you ask him for me?"

Thorin nods slowly, not sure how he actually said yes to her.

Emma smiles and gives him another kiss, before walking back to the dininghall where everyone is waiting for her. As they see her smug smile, they start cheering.

"We do have to take Dwalin though."

"Dwalin? I wonder if uncle is not in his right mind from riding that horse so fast or something! Dwalin drinks more than all of us together!"

"Where are you two taking us then?' Emma asks Fili and Kili.

They start explaining and making plans for the evening.

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In the meantime, Thorin walks over to the armoury to talk to Dwalin. As he explains the situation, Dwalin starts laughing. "Was she naked when she asked."

"No."

Was there a promiss of nakedness?"

"No."

"A hope for nakedness?"

"Not really."

"Then how did she get you to say yes?!" he is laughing quite hard now.

"I do not actually know." Thorin has to admit. "But now that I have said yes, I can not back down."

"Don't worry, I will accompany them."

"Without getting drunk yourself!"

"Aye, without me getting drunk."

"Alright then. Now come on, we have a counsel meeting."

Dwain sighs. Counsel meetings were the most boring aspect of his job and he had been working on a way to get out of them, with little luck so far.

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Their planning for the evening is interrupted as Elrond comes to stand next to Emma. Fili, Kili, Jeron and her handmaidens look up to him, but Emma just look straight ahead, so Elrond turns to Jalila.

"My lady, could you inform her highness that it is time for her first Sindarin lesson?"

Jalila nods and looks at Emma, biting her lip not to laugh at the ridiculous situation. Emma gets up and tells Jalila to join her, and together they follow Elrond to the study in his wing. There the three of them take a seat and Elrond looks expectantly at Emma. With a sweet smile she puts an hourglass on the desk and then sits back in her chair.

"May I invite her highness to start the conversation?" Elrond asks Jalila, his patience wearing thin.

Jalila turns to Emma. **"Come on, you can't just let him sit like that without initiating the conversation, at some point you will have to talk to him!"**

**"I just have to remain quiet to him for two months, after that he will be gone. And besides, I find it quite amusing to see how he is trying to be patient. I would rather like to see him lose it, it was amusing when Galadriel did."**

**"I believe that served a purpose. What may this serve?"**

**"I don't know yet, but I think it will come in handy sometime."**

"Well?" Elrond asks Jalila.

"I don't think her highness will be inclined to do so today." She answers apologetically.

"Perhaps you could remind her an agreement was made."

"I have, but the terms clearly stated that royal etiquette is to be upheld."

Elrond nods and then also sits back in his chair, observing Emma. No matter how this situation annoys him, he feels the familiar sting to his heart of love a parent has for his child, mingled with regret for all that he has missed and the anger he has ignited in her.

**"He is going to beat you at your own game."** Jalila says with a small smile. **"He will just keep looking at you until you feel uncomfortably enough and you speak to him."**

Emma closes her eyes. **"Untill then, let me enjoy the peace and quiet, will you."**

Jalila and Elrond watch her slumber for 45 minutes, the former looking rather embarrased and apologetic at the latter, untill Emma opens her eyes and sees the hourglass ran out. She gets up, Jalila and Elrond doing the same, and walks out of the room.

"I am sorry, she will come around, I am sure." Jalila says softly before also leaving the room.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dinner is served early, as the chef has been made aware of Emma's plans, and all that are going out quickly go to their rooms afterwards to change. Emma'handmaidens quickly dress themselves as she takes a bath, and then start dressing her.

"I think I will keep this dress on, I don't have anything else that looks less royal."

They go through her wardrobe but have to admit she is right. "Just leave your hair and make-up plain then." Jalila says.

As they are almost ready, Thorin walks in and groans as he sees her. "Really? You're wearing that?"

"Why not?"

"Because, well, it does show a lot."

"A lot of what?" she asks, deliberately being coy.

"A lot of you!"

Emma nods at her handmaidens to leave, and then looks at her husband.

"You like it if I show a lot of me…"

"Yes. But for me, not for everyone else!"

"Then console yourself with the fact that you see a lot more of me than everyone else does."

"Hmmf."

"By the way, I had never thought of this before, but I actually don't have any money."

He sighs. "I already gave it to Fili."

She gets up and slowly kisses his neck and nibbling at his earlobe. He bites his lip and looks at her with lust in his eyes.

She smiles. "Not now, I have to leave, otherwise everyone will be waiting for me."

"You are the queen, they will wait."

She smiles again and then walks out of the door, casting a glace over her shoulder.

Everyone is indeed already waiting for her, and they quickly get into two carriages which take them to Dale. Emma has put on a cloak with a hood which she puts over her head as they enter the inn, not taking it off before they sit.

"Ale all around then?" Fili asks.

"Not us."Emma says, pointing at herself and her handmaidens. "We prefer mead."

"Told you, spoiled brat!" Kili says and everyone, including Emma, laughs.

She looks around to see where Dwalin is, and sees him standing a little away from the table, watching the other inn visitors.

"Dwalin." She calls. "Will you not join us?"

"Just the one then." He says, sitting down at the table.

But one turns into many as the night passes, as it does for all of them, and at about 1, the women start dancing. All goes well, untill one of the other inn guests gathers his courage and takes Emma's hand to ask her for a dance. Within seconds he finds five men surrounding him, three of which are waring the Durin sygil and one of them a foreign sygil.

"All right, all right, no harm intended." He quickly says, holding up his hands, especially looking at Dwalin.

They smile and return to their seats, telling the innkeeper to send some ales to the man's table.

An hour or two later, they are all completely drunk, except for Dwalin, who is only a little drunk, and everyone is ready to leave. As Fili stumbles to the bar to settle the bill, he finds out that his funds are a little short for the rather large bill.

"I will send someone tomorrow to settle the rest." He says.

"I don't think so." The innkeeper says. "I have no idea who you are and little trust that someone will actually turn up tomorrow.

"My good sir, I am Fili, heir to the throne of Erebor!"

The innkeeper starts laughing. "Sure, and I am the queen of Erebor!"

"You most certainly are not, she is sitting right there." Fili slurrishly replies indignantly, pointing at Emma.

"Queens of Erebor are marked, everyone here knows that. And I don't see a mark on her."

"Emma" Fili yells at her. "Come here, this man does not belief you are the queen of Erebor!"

They all laugh and Emma gets up and walks to Fili, a little unsteady on her legs. "What may be the problem here?" she asks

"This lad here says you are the queen of Erebor, and the remainder of the bill will be paid tomorrow, but I have little faith in it."

"And what can I do about that? I don't carry money with me." She says, trying to sound at least a bit royal, but failing quite miserably as her tongue seems to have gotten a mind of it's own.

"Show your mark, and all will be well."

"Then I shall." She turns around and lifts up her hair, showing the small tattoo Dwalin has done for her.

"It is rather small, isn't it?" the innkeper says with doubt in his voice.

"Have you heard that a lot?" Emma asks him with a small smirk, evoking a roaring laugh from him.

"I still have little faith" the innkeeper says as he stops laughing.

"What elso to do then? Look, I am queen Emma, this is prince Fili, that is prince Kili, there is prince Melo, but he is not from here, and the large guy standing there is Dwalin, armoury master of Erebor. How else can I prove it?"

But then two elves get up from a hidden corner table, and for a moment Emma thinks she really drank too much, but then she realises it is indeed Elladan and Elrohir, though she has forgotten their names.

"Let us settle this bill, innkeeper. They are who they say they are, but your lack of faith is understandable."

Emma and Fili look at them a little strange, but think no more of it, unable to do so by the inebriated state of their brains. They all stumble laughingly to the carriages and nearly fall out as they exit them when they arrive at Erebor. As they walk through the halls and corridors, they keep talking and laughing, only at such a volume that most inhabitants are woken, including Thorin, who sticks his head around the door as he hears the rambunctuous group approaching.

"What in Mahal's name are you doing?" he says in a sleepy voice.

"We, uncle, are doing exactly as you told us. We are delivering your wife safely back to you." Kili grabs Emma's shoulders and pushes her to Thorin. "Here you go." He says with a satisfied smile on his face.

"OUT!" Thorin bellowes, causing them all, except Emma, to run off, laughing.

She giggles as she walks into their bedroom, and lies down on the bed. "Do you know that elves actually paid our bill tonight?" she says in blurred speach.

"Why don't you get out of your dress first."

She tries, but ends up falling off the bed as she does. He looks at her wearily, but then picks her up, takes her dress off and puts her into bed. As he goes to lie next to her, he hears a really soft snoring noise, and can't help to laugh a little bit.

Fours hours later, Emma wakes up with a terrible headache and her hair sticking to her face. She groans as she gets up and stumbles to the batroom, splashing water in her face. She puts her hair up in a bun and gets in her training clothes, pulling the hood of her vest over her head, and taking a bottle of water with her.

She drags herself to the main entrance and slowly starts jogging, barely able to move forward. After three stops, having to throw up during two of them, she finally reaches the plateau, where the sight of three elves waiting for her worsens her headache. She closes her eyes for a moment and then takes another gulp of water, preparing to start running down again.

"She is quite rude, isn't she?" One of the younger elves says loudly.

"You are right, Elladan. A thank you would have been in order."

"After all, we settled her bill last night."

"A rather large one at that."

She hides a smile, knowing what they are doing, and knowing she is better at it, but turns back to them nonetheless.

"You are right, thank you, _Elladan_." She says with a smug smile at Elrohir and Elrond and then actually starts running down.

"Emma, wait!" She turns back with a pained look on her face and sees Elladan running after her, followed by Elrond and Elrohir. "Are you alright?" He asks.

"Quite well, thank you. Now, if there is nothing else, I have a full program today."

"As you wish. I will see you later."

She crooks an eyebrow. "On what occasion?"

"I will be helping father with your Sindarin lessons."

Inwardly she gritts her teeth, but she does not show them her irritation. "Untill then." She says with a small nod.

Elrond looks at Emma running in the distance a little longer, and then they also start their descend along the mountain path.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Back in her bedroom, Emma lies back on the bed, waking up Thorin.

"Did you actually go for a run?" he says with a voice still thick with sleep.

"Yes, and when I finally managed to reach the plateau after being sick twice on the way up, I found Elrond and his two sons there, whom coincidently settled part of our bill last night."

He starts laughing.

"Don't laugh, my morning really sucks. I had to thank Elladan, so I would not be rude, and now he will be helping with my Sindarin lessons." She moans.

"Why is that so bad?"

"Because I had planned to spend those hours in blissfull silence, as Elrond can not adress me yet, so not actual lessons are taking place."

"So you do not tell him you speak Sindarin so you do not have to do anything for the lessons and then you just sit there while he waits for you to speak to him?!"

"No, I don't just sit there. I slumber a bit."

"Emma, come on! Do you have any idea how rude that is?!"

"Talk quietly, I am tired and I have a headache."

He looks at his wife, inwardly grinning about her behavior. But he knows this sort of thing is hardly behavior worthy of a royal.

"Come have breakfast then, it will make you feel better, so we can talk afterwards."

She turns her head to him and looks taxating.

"Come my wayward wife, and join me for breakfast."he says laughingly as he pulls her up.

"Wait, I have to change and you have to close the dress. I do not think I can wake up my handmaidens yet." She pulls a dress out of her wardrobe and takes her other clothes off.

She steps into the dress and turns her back to Thorin.

"A zipper, thank Mahal for that."

She combs her hair and puts some powder on her face, a little black on her eyelashes and a little red on her lips. As she looks in the mirror, she actually thinks she looks somewhat presentable and she walks with Thorin to the dining hall. Arriving there, she sees it is quite empty to her relief, and she sloaches down in her chair and waves at the servant to bring her some tea with a lot of sugar.

"And please also bring her highness some bacon and smoked fish." Thorin adds before the servant walks away.

"Just hearing that actually makes me nauscious."

"Trust me if I say it will help, I've been through this."

"O yes, I forgot you are old."she laughs as he looks at her slightly offended.

The servant brings her her tea, and she puts both hands around the cup, slowly taking sips. "This actually does make me feel better. I don't think I will be needing your terrible solution."

He just smiles at her as the bacon and fish are being put in front of her. "Just eat one bite and tell me if you still think it does not help."

She does, and does feel better. He raises his eyebrow.

"Fine, you were right, are you happy now?"

"Yes, because now we can talk about what happened last night and during your lesson."

"Acting like a dad again, Thorin, and I already have enough of those."

"So now you are getting a sense of humor about this whole thing?! Seriously, tell me what happened, I am just interested."

"We drank, we talked, we laughed, we danced a bit and then we went home."

"But how come those elves needed to pay your bill?'

"Fili did not have enough money, and.."

"How did he not have enough money, I practically gave him enough to buy the whole inn?"

"Because women with taste don't drink ale, but mead."

"Right."

"And then the innkeeper did not believe we were royals of Erebor. I believe I even showed him my tattoo, so he wouldn't take our word that we would come back today to pay the rest."

"He what?!" Thorin almost yells out.

"He didn't believe us, but then Elrond's sons paid and there was no problem. By the way, can you give me some money, I will bring it to them later."

"I will, but first: he saw your mark and didn't want to let you pay later?"

"Yes, that's what I said, why is it such a problem?"

"Because that mark is supposed to get you anything you want, no questions asked and the bill sent to our treasury."

"It was late, we were drunk, who cares?"

"It is part of treaty made with Dale, I will talk to Bard about it."

"Don't make a big deal about it."

"And what about the next time you need something, are you supposed to walk around with a bag of money or something."

"Is something wrong with that?"

"Yes, it is beneath our dignity. Royal ladies don't carry money with them."

"Fine, next time I will let everyone know I am the queen of Erebor. Will that make you stop yelling now?"

"I will take that money to Elrond's sons."

"Don't bother, I will do it myself."

Thorin looks at her surprised, but does not say anything about it. "Pick it up with Balin from the treasury, and make sure you wear another dress, there's bacon on this one."

She looks down and sighs.

"This is actually nice, having breakfast together. We should do it more often." He says.

"We do it all the time, only other people are also present."

"I meant with the two of us."

"Then you should order it in bed and bolt the door. That is the only way to not be disturbed around here."

"That might actually be a good idea." He says with a lustfull look at her.

She laughs and gets up, stroking his cheek. "It is a good idea, we need to talk about some things."

He frowns. "Should I be worried?"

"Not at all."

When she enters her room, she rings for her handmaidens, but she needs to repeat it three more times before Shayna drags herself into the room.

**"I'm really sorry, my lady. I'm not feeling so well."**

**"Have some tea with a lot of sugar and some bacon then. But first, make me presentable, I have to pay back those elves."**

**"How did you find them so quickly."**

**"They are Elrond's sons, did you not notice that?"** Emma says with a sour face.

Shayna laughs, but then holds her head. **"When will this pounding stop?!"** She moans.

**"Once you have gotten me ready."** Emma says dryly, but also a bit impatiently.

Half an hour later, Emma walks out of the room and Shana goes back to bed.

Emma knocks on he door of Balin's study and enters.

"Aaaah, Emma, how surprising to see you in such a good condition."

"The story of my whereabouts last night has spread quickly, I hear."

"More like you and your friends announcing your whereabouts last night. To most of Erebor. As it was happening."

"I'm sorry Balin."

"Don't be, I never was when I was young."

She smiles.

"So you are here to pick up some gold, I have been informed."

"Yes."

"And how much?"

"Thirty, I think."

"Thirty?! What did you drink?!"

"A lot, as thirty is only about half of the bill."

Balin laughs. "Just wait here, I'll get it."

Five minutes later he returns and calls for a servant.

"Please carry that for her highness." Balin says as the servant enters, and he hands him the bag.

"I'm sure that won't be necessary, Balin."

"Remember dear, royalty, so no carrying money around."

She laughs and gets up.

"Are you going to bring it yourself?"

"Yes."

"To lord Elrond's chambers?"

"I believe that is where his sons are right now."

"That's nice."

"If you think it is so nice, you go bring it then."

"That would take the nice part away." He winks

"Thank you, Balin." She says sarcastically

"My pleasure, dear."

She slowly walks to Elrond's rooms, the servant following her. As she stands in front of the door, she takes a deep breath and knocks. Elladan opens the door.

"Goodmorning, I eeeh, came to pay you back for last night."

"Please, come in."

"I'm sure that is not necessary."

"By all means, do. We can start with your lesson."

"Right" she says with a sigh as she walks into the antechamber, the servant following her.

She looks around and sees the rooms have the same lay out as hers, only smaller. "Just put it there." She says to the servant and points to the table. "Thank you."

He bows and leaves the room.

"Come along then." He says, and she follows him into the sitting room, where Elrond and Elrohir are seated on the sofas and having tea. She also takes a seat and looks around to find a servant, but appearantely there are none, so she just leaves the tea for what it is and starts looking around. She sees the guest wing is better decorated than the royal chambers and makes a mental notice for herself to redecorate Thorin and hers chambers.

Her ponderings about wallcolors are disturbed by the elves talking in Sindarin together, thinking she does not understand them, about how to proceed from here. Consensus amongst them would be that Elladan just takes care of the lesson for today, and he walks over to her, handing her a book.

"Shall we start?"

"Start? With what?"

Elladan actually looks confused now. "Eeeeh, your lesson…"

She takes out the hourglass again and puts it on the small, elegant table standing next to the sofa she is sitting on. "O yes, my lesson. The same as yesterday, I presume?"

"We..eeeh…can build on that." Elladan says, helplessly looking back at his father and brother.

"Great!" Emma says, and she leans back on the sofa and closes her eyes.

"What are you doing?" Elladan says sharply.

"Building on the lesson of yesterday. The added comfort of the sofa brings a whole new dimension to it." She murmers.

Elladan fumes, but does not say anything. Instead, he walks back to his father and brother.

~" Is she always this disrespectfull?"~ He asks his father in an annoyed tone.

~" I think she might need to warm up to me a little more still. I can understand, given the circumstances, she might not feel very inclined to really commit to learning about the elven ways."~

~" You're just trying to find excuses for her inexcusable behavior! Just admit that she is being a spoiled brat!"~

But Elrond and Elrohir stand up for her, trying to come up with possible reasons and solutions for her behavior for the next 50 minutes, untill Elrohir says:

~"Perhaps she can not learn very well, or she can't read at all, and she is trying to hide it with a mask of indifference."~

This is too much for Emma, whom has been pretending to be asleep to listen to their conversation but now bursts out in laughter, startling the elves.

~" Really? You think I can not read and therefore I feign disinterest?! Would that be on the count that I am stupid or just that dwarves do not have enough interest in their daughters and wives to teach them anything?"~

~" You…eeeh…you speak Sindarin?!"~ Elladan utters with difficulty.

~"Then why did you not say anything, so we could do something more interesting?"~ Elrohir mutters.

~"Something more interesting? Read that poetry?" She says while pointing at a stack of books. ~"I have already read them all. Learn to shoot a bow? I can already do it. Elven war strategies? I already studied them. The only elven thing I might not be able to do is build a treehouse, but I have not enjoyed climbing trees since I was 25. Perhaps you can teach me how to gracefully pull off a perfect look of disdain and arrogance. You know, we could get out some mirrors and all stare at them untill I know the exact degree to which to crook my eyebrow."~ Sarcasm is dripping off her tone, and she is probably sporting the facial expression she just described, but she cares little.

~" We…eeeh…we're sorry. But you have been acting disrespectfull!"~ Elladan says.

Emma looks at the hourglass and sees that the hour has passed, so she gets up. ~"Please, allow me to teach you something. Respect is something you earn, not something that is just handed to you simply because you exist. And certainly not something you can get by blackmailing people into signing a contract."~

And with that, she leaves the sitting room, walking back to her chambers. She is fuming with rage, over the stupid assumptions they made regarding her and their conceided attitude. But she also feels something else, some form of regret or compasion, she can not quite make it out. Although his sons were rather annoying, Elrond did stand up for her, and he looked rather disappointed and rejected when she left his chambers after exactly an hour. Thinking of it only makes the feeling worse, makes it swell in her chest, and it causes her to feel overwhelmed and barely able to breath.

"Emma, are you alright?"

Thorin walks out of the bathroom and sees his wife standing in the middle of the room, breathing strangely and looking rather pale.

"No, just fine, I think I need to have a nap or something."she says, and lies down on the bed.

He lies next to her, looking at her closely. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Quite sure."

"Shall I get a healer?"

"If you do that everytime I'm tired, you will have to get him a room next to ours." She says sarcastically.

"Sleep then. I have a counsel meeting, I will check up on you after. Shall I have lunch send here?"

"I'm not hungry."

When Thorin leaves, she pulls the covers over herself and tries to sleep. But her thoughts are racing and Elrond's face keeps popping back up in her head. She tries to push it away, but as Elrond himself, it refuses to leave.

She finally falls asleep, but is awoken by a cold hand on her head. She opens her eyes and sees Thorin looking at her with worry in his eyes.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired."

"I am going to get a healer, you have a raging fever!"

"I just drank too much."

"Drinking does not give you a fever. Don't move, I will be right back."

She wants to get up, but can't find the strength and falls into a slumber again. Not much later, Thorin comes back, accompanied by Oin.

Oin puts his hand on her head and nods."Yes, definitely a fever. How are you feeling, dear?"

"Tired."

"Right, I need to ask you some questions. Have you ever felt like this before?"

"Look, I just drank a little too much and didn't sleep enough. Everything is fine, really."

"Drinking does not cause a fever. So have you ever felt like this?"

"No."

"Were you sick a lot before you came here?"

"No, I am rarely sick."

"When did you last bleed?"

Emma feels her head turning bright red. "I hardly think…" She murmers.

"I am sorry if this embarasses you, but it is important."

She avoids looking at either Oin or Thorin. "two and a half weeks before the wedding." She whispers.

"And is your cycle regular?"

She almost can't breath anymore from shame, so she just nods, praying this is the last question regarding this subject. But no such luck.

"Would you say you bleed heavily?"

She shakes her head, looking out of the window now.

"And do your bleeds cause you pain or discomfort?"

She shakes her head again.

"Have you two layn together often?"

Thorin starts caughing. "What does that have to do anything with my wife having a fever?!"

"I am trying to determine the chance that she is pregnant."

Both Thorin and Emma jerk their heads to Oin. "Three times." Thorin says while Emma blushes heavily.

Oin feels Emma's throat and listens to her heart.

"I think it is some kind of a virus or something. Just rest and drink a lot, I will send something for the fever."

He gets up and leaves the room. Emma keeps staring out of the window and Thorin comes to sit next to her, pushing her down until she is lying on her back and then lies next to her.

"Did it really make you feel uncomfortable?" he asks.

"No, I think it is a rather delightful topic to discuss, but I prefer to keep it for agreement negotiations and such." She says sarcastically.

He chuckles and presses a kiss on her forehead. "Sleep now, you will feel better after."

When she wakes up, she finds Thorin sleeping next to her and the sun rising. She must have slept all afternoon and night. She gets up but feels her legs are weak. She drags herself to the bathroom and washes up, and puts her training clothes on.

When she starts her run, it feels like her legs are made of jelly and as heavy as stone, and she finds it extemely difficult to even put one foot in front of the other. After a mere 10 minutes she has to sit down, unable to go further or back. She sits next to the mountain path for a while, breathing heavily, and then sees Elladan and Elrohir walking up to her.

"We thought you were never coming, after…eeeh..well after yesterday."

She can only wave er hand in a –never-mind motion at them.

"Are you alright?" Elladan says worriedly while kneeling next to her.

"I will be, I just need to sit for a bit." She grunts at him, annoyed that they are there, again.

He puts his hand on her forehead, but she has no strength to move her head away from him.

"You have a fever, you should be in bed."

"And you should mind your own business."

He chuckles. "Come on, let me bring you back."

"I am not a child, I do not need someone to bring me back to my own rooms!"

"I know, just do it as a favor to us."

They both offer their arm and she reluctantly accepts, leaning heavily on them to get up. Slowly they walk back.

When they reach the royal chambers after quite some time and she opens the door she wants to say something, but is interrupted by Thorin.

"Please do not tell me you actually went for a run!?"

"I tried."

"Oin told you to rest!"

"I shall do so now. Thank you for your help." She says, turning back to Elladan and Elrohir.

As she walks to the bedroom, they look at her before nodding at Thorin and walking away.

Thorin goes to see how Emma is doing, and finds her asleep.

Throughout the whole day, people keep coming to her rooms to see how she is, the chef even stops by himself to bring soup, but Thorin has to disappoint them all because Emma is sleeping, and she continues to do so all day and all night.

The next morning Thorin wakes up and feels her forehead. The fever seems to have gone, and he smiles when he looks at his peacefully sleeping wife. She slowly opens her eyes and smiles back at him.

"What time is it?"

"Morning."

"That's strange, I feel like I have slept for hours."

"You did. You slept all day and all night."

"Really?'

"Yes. Are you feeling better?"

"I think I am."

"Would you like to have breakfast together?"

She smiles and nods, and he orders the servants to bring breakfast. They bring the trays a little later, and Emma and Thorin lie on the bed while eating.

'Thorin?"

"Hmm."

"How is your—your consort?"

His head jerks up. "Ahum, eeeh, fine."

"And the child?"

"Yes, yes, fine." He says, looking at the ceiling.

"You do know that I am trying to ask which arrangements you will make them, don't you? And that we will have to discuss the topic sometime?"

"You're right." He sighs. "I have given her an appartment here in Erebor and a monthly allowance. I would—I would…."

"You would like your child to be close?"

"Yes." He says, almost embarrased.

"I should hate for you to think I have a problem with that."

He looks at her. "You don't? Have a problem with it, I mean."

"No, I don't. As long as you manage to avoid embarrasing situations."

"I don't think they will be part of court life, unless she marries a noble or something and that will most likely not happen, so you will probably never see her."

"And do you want more children?"

"Of course!"

"You see, I don't think I want children right now. In a couple of years I would love to have children of course, just not yet."

He takes her jaw in his hand. "Then we will wait. The healer will have something for it, I will set up an appointment."

She smiles, happy to have cleared up everything with a lot less problems than she had expected.

"Was this what you wanted to talk to me about?"

She nods.

"Great then, shall we have a bath?"

She gets up and walks to the bathroom, taking her clothes of, as does he.

"How are things going with your lessons with Elrond?" he asks as she is lying with her back against his chest, softly stroking his muscular thigh with her thumb.

She shrugs. "I only had two."

"And is your Sindarin improving?"

"You know very well that I speak Sindarin already."

"So you just pretend to know nothing?"

"No. As he can't speak to me yet, the first lesson I said nothing and he spoke with Jalila. And the second lesson was mostly about Elrond, Elldan and Elrohir taking about why I would pretend not to be interested in learning, and them coming to the conclusion that I either can not learn or I can not read."

Thorin laugh roars through the bathroom, echooing of the walls.

"Please tell me you said something about it."

"Yes, it was quite funny actually. I have never seen elves so shocked."

"And now what?"

"No idea. I guess I will see later today."

"I mean about Elrond. Are you ever going to speak to him?"

"I don't know. I actually feel bad about disappointing him every time, but I could use it as a bargaining chip."

"You have to remember that he probably feels really different about this than you do, and it would be heartless to use his feelings."

Emma turns around. "I think leaving your child behind is heartless." She says with defiance in her voice.

Instead of argueing about this with her, he choses a much nicer way to spend his morning and pulls her on his lap and starts kissing her. After initial reluctance, she passionately kisses him back, moving softly in the rhytm of his gyrating hips, rubbing her sex against his member as she does. His fingers go to her clit and slowly start circling it. She moans and runs her hand over his chest, moving her hips faster. He stops her movements for a moment and slowly lowers her on to his member, letting him enter all the way. He groans and lies back a little bit, grasping her ass with one hand and circing her clit with the other. But it becomes clear she has no idea what to do, so he lifts her a little bit and starts thrusting upwards.

The water makes moving a lot easier, and before long she starts he hears her soft moans as her pleasure coming rises, so he leans her back, the water carrying her weight.

"Yes, faster!" She moans

He immediately does as she asks, water splashing over the sides of the bath. She moans harder and then reaches her peak, only held up by his arm around her. He keeps thrusting into her and then also comes, groaning out her name. She lies down on his chest, her fingers going through his chesthair.

"We have messed up the whole bathroom." She murmers.

"Thank Mahal we have servants." He agrees.

'" I don't think I got much cleaner."

"I love when you're dirty." He says with a little wink.

She laughs and gets of his lap, taking a spunge and washing herself while he watches. When she is done, he helps her out of the bath and they dry themselves off. She waits untill he is dressed and then rings for her handmaidens to dress her. She puts her leather pants and black woolen top on herself, but asks her maidens to do her hair and make up. As they do, Thorin is observing her, musing about the exotic yet familiar way she looks. But then she gets up and walks to the door.

"What are you going to do this morning?" he asks her.

"Watch the practice for a bit."

"Just watching?"

"Yes, I am not quite ready to take a blow to my head yet."

He walks her to the practice hall, but has to leave to attend counsel. Emma sits on one of the benches and looks around to see which warriors are training. To her surprise she sees Elrond and Dwalin training together, and she moves to a bench closer to the pit they are using. Even though they are just training, their fight is highly entertaining. Dwalin rarely finds an opponent in Erebor to match his skills, being the veteraned fighter he is and Thorin not practicing often anymore, but Elrond demands all of his skill. Looking at the elf lord, one might suspect him to be more of a politician than a warrior, but nothing is less true. He wields his sword in such a way Emma has never seen before, and for a while she can only look at the way he seems to effortlessly fly through the pit, attacking much more than he has to defend.

She has to tear her gaze away from the training when Elladan and Elrohir come to sit on either side of her.

"Feeling better?"

"Hmmm."

"Have you already thought of what you want to do in your next lesson?"

"If you are speaking about the lesson your father is forcing me to follow, I don't have to think of anything; I am perfectly content with catching up with a bit of sleep for an hour."

"It could be a lot more interesting for you if you told us what you like, instead of pretending you know nothing."

Emma grinns a bit, still amused with herself.

"Come on, there has to be something you like." Elladan presses.

Emma hesitates for a moment and looks at Elrond and Dwalin training. "I would like to learn that." She says a bit shyly.

Elladan and Elrohir turn their heads in the direction Emma is looking, and see their father and Dwalin. They start smirking. "You can't learn that! Father has tried to teach us for over 500 years, but we did not even get near his level of accomplishment! It is a gift, not something you learn." Elladan loudly exclaims laughingly.

"Fine. You think of something then." Emma says while she gets up and walks out, not listening to the twin's trying to call her back.

Elrond mindlessly blocked Dwalin's attack as he saw Emma walking out of the hall, looking rather crossed, and he beckoned his sons to come to him.

"What was that about?"

"We tried to find out what Emma would like to do for her lessons, and she said she wanted to learn to fight like you. But I am afraid she got upset when we told her she couldn't do it." Elrohir says.

Behind them, Dwalin bursts out in loud laughter and they turn to him.

"You actually said to Emma she can not do something?!" he laughs and shakes his head. "Big chance she will be able to do it tomorrow, and better than you!"

When they elves look at him a little reproachfull, he shrugs his shoulders. "What? Servants talk and I have heard what happened during her lessons. You underestimate her greatly, I mean thinking she can not read, seriously?! She might look like a naive, tiny girl, but she has wits, not to mention a lot of determination."

Elladan and Elrohir shift uncomfortably on their feet, but Elrond frowns at Dwalin.

"It wasn't an outrageous assumption, she actually refused to talk to me and then went to sleep."

This caused Dwalin to actually double over in laughter, but he quickly composes himself, biting his lip to hold back his laughter, when he sees Thorin standing next to the pit.

"Swordfighting like an elf?" Thorin asks to no one specific.

"Yes." Elrond says, with a really small, almost invisible, proud smile on his lips.

"And you told her she could not do it?" Thorin asks, now turning to Elladan.

"Yes."

"Well, this will be interesting." Thorin muses, and he walks away, back to the counselmeeting that was delayed.

Now that Thorin has left, Dwalin starts grinning again. "Please, let me be present for the first lesson, it will be priceless!" he laughingly begs Elrond.

"Why? Why would it be priceless?"

"The priceless part would be her being frustrated that she can not do so well as she wants and then taking it out on poor Jeron afterwards to get rid of her frustration."

The elves look at him confused, not knowing what exactly he is talking about.

"Jeron? Her boxingtrainer? She has been training with him for years, and he can not teach her anything more, so now it is just a way to work out her temper I guess."

"And the rest of her sports, also for anger management?" Elrond asks curiously.

"Nah. Running for condition, shooting for concentration and riding to clear her head."

"How do you know so much about her, you have not known her for very long, right?"

"I was there when she accompanied us for part of the quest, and I have known Thorin for a very long time, so I have heard enough about her. And of course we often see eachother here."

" _Part_ of the quest?" Elrond asks.

Dwalin clears his throat, knowing he has said something he shouldn't have. "Yes..eeeh..ahum…eeeh…you should ask her about that, I…eeeh….have something to do now, bye." And he quickly walks out of the practice hall, leaving the puzzled elves before they can say anything else.


	16. 16 Stories

The rest of the day Elrond actually thinks about giving Emma swordfighting lessons. There is a chance she might actually talk to him if he does, but she might also get frustrated and upset. But then, teaching her would take more than two months, perhaps leading to an extended stay. He weighs his options, chosing one but then changing his mind and back. In the end, he decides to see what she can do before making a final decision.

"Elrohir, go to the armoury and ask for four bows and some arrows, we're going riding."

"I thought it was time for Emma's lesson."

"This is her lesson. I will see what she can do before actually asking her if she wants to practice with swords."

Elrohir crooks an eyebrow but says nothing and walks out to fetch bows, arrows and Emma. A couple of minutes later he returns with her, still dressed in her training clothes. Elronds calls for Elladan, telling him they will go to the edge of the forrest to practice their shooting while riding.

Emma squints her eyes and sighs deeply, deciding whether she should say anything or not.

After watching the elves pack up everything they need for a while, she says: "We can not shoot at the edge of the forrest. There are alotted times for bow practice, to prevent anyone from getting injured by a stray arrow and now is not an alotted time. It is only once a week."

Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir al look up at Emma, who has finally spoken to Elrond, but say nothing and act like it is the most normal thing in the world.

"You're the queen, make it an alotted time." Elladan says.

Emma shakes her head. "There are hunting parties going on, and I'm not going to be the one to scare away their prey."

"And when is the next alotted time?" Elrond asks

"In five days." She answers dryly. "If you want to go shooting, you'll have to go further, to the moorlands, and shoot at the bushes or put up some targets. Or the indoor range of course."

"The moorlands are more than half an hour away." Elrohir says tentatively.

Emma nods. "They are."

Elrond sees where the conversation is going, and he does not want her to back out. "Let us get the horses then." He says.

Together they walk to the stables, where the stablemaster hurries to get Emma's horse while his assistants get horses for Elrond, Elldan and Elrohir. When the animals are saddled up and every part is adjusted to the elves' height, they take off.

"Is that your own horse, Emma?" Elrond asks her when they are riding in a moderately fast pace to the moorlands.

"It is." She answers cautiously.

"I thought dwarves prefered ponies."

"Most do."

"But you don't?"

"No."

"Why?"

"They go too slow and are not suitable for battle. They are too meek and run off when confronted with too much noise or the smell of blood."

"And you need a battle horse?" Elrond asks, without a trace of sarcasm in his voice, only interest.

Emma looks at him, trying to find out if he is actually interested or making fun of her. But as his face matches his tone, she shrugs. "You can steer warhorses with just your legs, with ponies that would be impossible, so you can't shoot a bow while riding a pony. Melo got it for me, because of it's speed and stamina. And it came in handy on the journey and after."

"After?"

"The battle."

"You were at the battle against the orcs?"Elrond says with disbelief in his voice.

"Is that so hard to belief?" she says in a defensive tone.

"No, no! I just didn't see you coming out of Erebor with Thorin and the rest of the company."

"I was..eee…let's say undercover. But what were you doing there?"

"When we heard of Thorin's endeavour and your role in it, we expected to see you in Rivendell. But when you weren't there and everyone refused to answer our questions regarding your absense or said you hadn't even joined in the first place, we rode out to Erebor with a small army in the hopes of finding you there."

"To intercept me and drag me to Rivendell, no doubt." She says dryly.

"Yes." Elrond admits.

None of them says anything for a while, letting his words linger between them. But then Elrond looks at her again.

"What did you feel, at the battle I mean."

Emma has no idea how she got into this situation. She did not plan to talk to him, especially not about Thorin's journey, but something in him makes she can not be as cold as she normally is. She finds it both annoying and familiar. Talking to him is so easy.

"I wasn't with the main force, but it was both dark and liberating."

"Liberating?"

"I did what I promissed to do, and more than that, so I felt liberated."

"Everyone is very evasive regarding your role in the quest and the battle, and I have no idea why. Will you tell me?"

"It is a long story."

"On the way back then?"

"I am not a good storyteller. Someone else would be able to gve you much more interesting account."

"But they can not tell me what you did, what ou felt. Will you tell me?"

She rubs the nape of her neck and then look at him, almost taxating. "Perhaps."

A few moment later they arrive at the edges of the moorlands and Elladan and Elrohir look around. "We can make it work here. Emma, here's your bow." Elladan says while throwing the bow at her.

She catches it and asks him what the targets are.

"Why don't you shoot at that tree there."

"That tree is 50 foot away, Elladan."

"Is that too far?"

She squints her eyes. "If I wanted to stand still and shoot at objects that are 50 foot away, I could have stayed in Erebor and use the range."

"Alright, I will stack some stones along a course." He says with a grin and both him and Elrohir ride out, intermittantly stopping to stack some stones.

Emma and Elrond wait, her looking intendly how often Elladan and Elrohir stop and where, so she knows how many targets there are and where. After a quarter hour or so, Elladan and Elrohir seem to be satisfied with the course they have set and ride back to Elrond and Emma.

"Well go on then, show us what you got." Elladan says with a smug smile.

Emma ignores his arrogance and looks at the sky and the trees to see the direction and force of the wind. Then she says something to her horse and the animal galops off. She steers him with her legs and pulls an arrow out of the quiver on her back. She lies it on her bow, pulls back and aims at the first target, correcting for her movements. She shoots the stones off of eachother, and continues, doing the same for the next targets.

Elrond is observing her intendly. "Your smugness seems to have no foundation, son." He says to Elladan without taking his eyes off Emma.

"As if you believed she could actually shoot a bow, much less a pile of rocks while riding."

"I was polite enough to not show my doubt."

Elladan nods sourly, but says no more.

When she has hit all the targets, Emma rides back to the waiting elves, steering her horse next to them.

"I have nothing to add." Elrond says. "If there wasn't so much animosity between Thranduil and Thorin I would suggest you train with Legolas."

"Aaah, yes, that funny business with those jewels. But I actually like Thranduil, he's nice."

All three elves look at her in surpise. "Thranduil? Nice? How so?.

Emma shrugs."Just a feeling."

"So you would train with Legolas if he agrees?" Elrond says.

Emma's face hardens a bit. "Of course not, Thorin can't stand him and you know that very well."

The elves smile, thinking of the altercations between Thorin and Legolas and the remarks Legolas has made about Thorin. "Come on, let's ride some more." Elrond says, softly kicking his horse to get it moving.

With a small detour they start riding back to Erebor, Elrond riding next to Emma.

"So, the journey."

"One time, and no nagging about it afterwards and especially not telling it to Melo!" She warns him.

He nods, so she starts.

"I joined, amongst other reasons, to get away from home and see something of the world. But after a week Thorin and I got into an…eeeh….altrication, and I left. But I did sign a contract stating that I would help them get the Arkenstone."

"Arkenstone?"

"You know, that really shiny stone mounted into Thorin's throne. It signifies his right to rule and binds all other dwarf clans to him. Anyway, I basically promissed to do my utmost best to steal the thing for Thorin, but leaving the company would not be doing that. So instead of riding with them, I rode to Erebor by myself with my guard, actually making better time than the company. There, I sent the guard away and snuck in. The Arkenstone was easily found, but I accidentaly woke up the dragon."

"i would imagine it was accidental." Elrond mutters.

"Do you want to hear the rest or not?" Emma says sternly.

Taking his silence as a 'yes' she continues. "So then that hypocritical beast began moving around and screaming about theft and what not, chasing me through the corridors, ripping open my leg. Luckily he decided to take his vengeance out on Laketown, where Bard shot him down. But my leg was really hurting, and I could not ride back home. So I put the Arkenstone in the entrance hall and hid in a nearby tower. But then, two days later or something, orcs were moving into the tower, and I was effectively trapped in a small attick on top of the tower."

"Did they not smell you?" Elrohir asks curiously, not ashamed for evesdropping on the conversation.

"I traveled from a little before Rivendell to Erebor, I smelled like orc."Emma answers, annoyed by the interruption. " Anyway, where was I? O yes, so I was sitting in this attick, suddenly seeing Bard and Thranduil and their armies moving in on Erebor, where the company had already found the Arkenstone and blocked the entrance. Shortly after Dain's army came down from the hill, and I was secretly glad not to be in Erebor, but surrounded by orcs in an attick. But then the orcs started attacking from the mountains, and after a long while Thorin and his men also joined to fight, Thorin, Dwalin, Fili and Kili coming towards the tower I was in. I could not warn them, as I would give myself away, but then the big, pale one snatched Fili, whom was checking the tower, and held him up for Thorin to watch him die. They were standing right beneath me, the pale orc holding that ghastly knife that was attached to his arm against Fili's back. Of course I could not let him die, so I jumped out of the attick and, after killing his guards, killed the pale orc. And then, when I tried to get out of the tower, some more on the stairs. But Thorin, Dwalin, Fili and Kili helped with that."

She takes a deep breath, having been breathless by the long story.

"And then?" Elrond asks.

"Then I went home to get my leg stitched up." She simply says.

"Surely you did not kill Azog the Defiler by yourself." Elladan scoffs.

"Are you calling me a liar?!" Emma says sharply.

"I just mean that perhaps you have embellished your story a little bit." He says with a smug grin on his lips.

She clenches her jaw. "I did not embelish anything."

"So you say that you took something from a dragon and lived to tell the tale and then killed the mightiest orc leader we have seen in millenia?! You are not even of age yet, you did not do that by yourself!"

"You know what, I don't give a fuck if you believe me or not!" She hisses, and rides off, murmering under her breath.

Elrond and Elrohir look at Elladan with great annoyance at their faces and also ride off, trying to keep up with Emma. But her horse is used to her, and their horses are not, so they lose sight of her. They are relieved to find the stablemaster brushing off her horse when they arrive at Erebor, but do not see her anymore.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Stumping into her chambers, still terribly offended by Elladan, Emma is stopped by Thorin.

"Where have you been?!" he says angrily.

"Riding with Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir."

"You are not supposed to leave without taking guards!"

"You and Melo made me have these lessons, talk to yourself or my brother. Or Elrond for all I care, but don't annoy me with this!"

"So it did not go well?"

"They are annoying, arrogant and curious nitwits." She grunts, and walks off to the bathroom.

Five minutes later she steps into a deliciously hot bath and lets the water wash away all her irritation.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I have never noticed the stone in your throne before walking through the throne room today, I do not recognize it as a specific type of stone, what is it?" Elladan asks Thorin.

They are sitting at the dinner table in one of the smaller halls, as very few others beside Thorin, Fili, Kili, Balin, Dwalin and Elrond and his sons are having dinner so late.

"What do you want with my Arkenstone?" Thorin replies, becoming very suspicious about the elf informing after his most prized possesion.

"Emma just told us about it being lost while we were riding. I was curious, that is all."

"Yes, without her I would not have it today." Thorin says with a satisfied smile.

"So she actually stole it from the dragon?" Elladan continues his questions, ignoring warning glances from his father and his brother.

"Aye, she did." Dwalin grinns. "Sending that nasty beast off to be shot by Bard."

"But surely she did not kill Azog?" Elladan asks, wincing when his brother kicks him under the table.

"I would not be sitting here if she didn't." Fili says, thankfullness audible in his voice.

"You mean to tell me she actually killed Azog by herself, without any help?" Elladan says in disbelief.

"She told you the story, didn't she? She told you the story and you didn't belief her! She tells you a story she hasn't even told anyone here, and you didn't belief her!" Everyone falls silent as Thorin speaks up in annoyance. "You are indeed a smug asshole!"

Thorin gets up and walks away from the dinner table in anger, ordering one of the servants to bring his dinner to his chambers.

"I warned you not to underestimate her." Dwalin says grumpily while everyone is looking reproachfull at the elves.

Balin scrapes his throat. "Around here, it is quite offensive to doubt a story one is telling about one's own actions. Especially if such a story is never told before." He says tentatively to the elves, suspecting cultural differences might cloud the matter a bit.

"We offer our sincere apologies." Elrond says with a small bow of his head, and he wants to continue eating.

But then Elladan speaks up again. "Come on! Who could believe that such a girl actually stole form a dragon and kill an orc leader?! I still think you're not telling the whole truth!"

The facial expressions of the dwarves present change from reproachfull to downright furious, but for once they do not immediately start a fight. Instead, they all get up and leave, whispering in Khuzdul to eachother.

~"Son, could you perhaps enlighten me as to why you seem to find it necessary to make enemies of our hosts, not to mention your sister?"~

Elladan lets out a mocking huff. ~"She is no elf, and therefore not my sister! You just refuse to see it. She is disrespectfull, proud and arrogant, nothing like us; nothing like me. Just an entitled, spoiled brat!"~

Elrond's hand twitches as his oldest son speaks, and he clenches his jaw in an attempts to compose himself. Slowly, he rises from his chair and walks away from his sons to refrain from saying anything he might regret later.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When he walks into the royal chambers, a servant carrying his dinner following him and places the tray on the table in the antechamber before leaving the chambers, he finds Emma sitting in the dinning room. She is reading some book in Sindarin, a language he never took the trouble of remembering after his lessons when he was young so he does not have a single clue what is is about, and making notes in it. He stands in the doorway for a bit, watching her. Though she is normally always dressed well, even her training outfit is matched and flattering, now she only seems to wear a night gown and robe and red, thick woolen socks. He faintly smiles when she bites her lip, presumably thinking of something difficult. She looks like the young woman she is, and not the responsability laden queen she has to be.

But then she looks up and notices him watching her, and a blush creeps over her cheeks, which only reddens as she looks at her socks and quickly tries to take them off.

"If you are doing that for my sake, by all means: keep them on." He chuckles and he sees her struggling with the comfortable but perhaps not very flattering footwear.

She also smiles, though not as lighthearted as he did, but with a certain amusement nonetheless. "I thought you liked it when I take off my clothing?" she says seductively.

He steps closer, recognizing her tone as wanting, lustfull. "I do, but I do not wish for my wife to get cold."

They are standing in front of eachother now, though still about a meter apart. She pushes her robe and gown from her shoulders, and the flowy, souple material falls to the floor and pools around her feet, leaving nothing but bare skin. She steps back to the table and gracefully sits on it, her mouth opened a little bit and her breathing heavier than normal though not as heavy as his.

"Perhaps you can warm me then." She says, her dark eyes inviting him to come closer.

For a second he looks at her, admires her, and then he quickly turns around and locks the dinning room door and strides back to the table, taking his clothes of as he walks. He cups her face with both hands and kisses her passionately, a passion she matches, if not exceeds, when she softly bites his lower lip and runs her hands over his chest. He releases his grip on her jaw and cups her breasts with his hands, kneeding the soft but firm flesh and rolling her nipples between his thumb and index finger. Soft moans escape her and she wraps her legs around his waist. His member has already hardened to an almost painfull state, aroused by his wife's sudden initiative, but he needs to know if she is ready for him. He puts his hand on her sex and runs his middle finger down her slit, pressing it slowly but firmly inside of her when he reaches her entrance. She moans louder and her head falls back, giving him the exquisite opportunity to nibble at the sensitive skin of her neck while he trusts his finger in her.

"Thorin.." she pants. "please…"

That is all the encouragement he needs, and he pushes her down so that she is lying on her back on the table, her legs still wrapped around him. He pulls them from his waist and hold them up by her ankles, spreading them so that she is completely open for him. He lets go of her right leg to guide his member to her entrance, and then holds it again as he burries himself to the hilt inside of her. She moans and lifts her hips to meet his movement, and he starts thrusting in and out of her, leaving only his tip inside before slamming into her again. He pushes her legs back and apart even further, and thrusts harder, pounding into her, his rapidly tightening balls slamming against her flesh with a deliciously raunchy sound. He starts to groan as he feels her tightening around him, moaning everytime he hits that sensitive spot inside of her, louder and louder untill she almost cries out her orgasm. He lets go of her legs and bends over her, devouring her lips and holding her shoulders to push her closer everytime her pounds into her. Pleasure takes over, and his mind becomes completely consumed with the pleasure he is experiencing untill he releases himself with a loud groan, collapsing on top of her, unable to do anything but rest his head on her chest and try to regain his breath.

After several minutes he pushes himself up, kissing her swollen lips tenderly.

"I think you should wear woolen socks more often." He whispers

She laughs and runs her hands through his hair. "I should, shouldn't I?"

He stands up and pulls her in a sitting position. He picks up her night gown and gently puts it on her, followed by her dressing robe and then her socks. After that, he dresses himself again, observed by her.

"Let's eat a bit, love. I had it brought here."

"Why did you have your dinner brought here, did you know what I had in mind?"

He chuckles. "I would like to say I did, but I was completely annoyed by our elven guests, so I decided it would be much more enjoyable to share my dinner with you."

She raises an eyebrow. "What did they do?"

He stands in front of her and kisses her again. "It does not matter. Now let us enjoy dinner."

The rest of the evening they chat a bit, leaving heavier topics for what they are and just enjoy eachothers company without the usual disturbances.


	17. 17 Fighting

Thorin is awoken in the middle of the night by a cold spot besides him and soft cursing coming from the bathroom. He sits up and rubs his eyes, wanting nothing more than to just fall asleep again. But he gets up and knocks on the bathroom door.

"Emma, what are you doing?"

He hears something being knocked over and falling. "Just a minute, I will be right out."

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes, yes, no, yes, just fine." He hears his wife saying in a high pitched,

slightly panicked voice.

"Do you need help with anything, can I do something for you?" he asks, wondering what is going on in his bathroom in the middle of the night.

"Eeeeehm, could you just ring for one of my handmaidens?"

He rapidly blinks a couple of times, utterly confused, but does as he asked, and not much later a yawning Shana knocks on the bedroom door and enters silently. She looks at the king, whom is wearing nothing but his underwear, a bit shy and then walks to the bathroom. Thorin hears them whisper, and then Shana walks back out.

"May we have a moment, your highness?' she asks softly.

Thorin, still not fully awake otherwise he would not have been ushered out of his own bedroom, meekly does as she says. A few minutes later he sees Shana leaving the bedroom as he is waiting in the antechamber, carrying a pile of laundry and leaving the royal chambers, only to come back after a moment, carrying a box and sheets. It is all rather strange, and he wonders if he is not still sleeping. But the cold from the stone floor beneath his feet assures him that he is not.

"All done, your highness, my apologies for the disturbance."

He looks up and sees that Shana is leaving the royal chambers with a bow to him. He takes it as a sign that he can return to his bed, so he quickly does. He finds Emma already lying there with her back to his side of the bed and puts his arm around her.

"Dare I ask what that was about?"

"Nothing…" she says in a slightly higher tone than usual.

"If it was nothing, then why do you knock over half the bathroom, am I put out of my own bedroom and does your handmaiden walk in and out, all in the middle of the night? And why are our sheets changed?"

"I..eeeerm….I might have…eeerm…you know…"

"I really don't."

"I have—you know-eeeh…female…eeeh…"

Then it dawns on him, and he chuckles a bit.

"And you have to be so secretive about it?"

"I did not think you would appreciate a detailed description." She whispers, thankfull that her blush is unseen by him in the dark bedroom.

"You don't have to be ashamed about it. My sister used to exclaim it loudly for all to hear, probably to warn us to stay away from her and not do anything that might in the slightest upset her." He says, trying to comfort her.

He feels her laugh a bit. "Should I be worried about that with you? I mean, should I do or not do anything?" he asks tentatively.

She shakes her head and says after a while: "It would be nice if you could give me some excuse not to go riding or training with Elrond."

"You know he will just think of some other lesson."

"Some other lesson would be fine, just not riding or training."

"Why? Is this not to get out of seeing him?"

She sighs, but he does not know if it is from irritation or something else untill she explains: "No, it is just…eeeeerm…it is rather….eerm….difficult to do physical excersize when…eeerm….I….you know."

Her shame and discomfort from speaking about the subject is almost palpable, so he does not press any further. "I will tell him you can not train." He says, and he strokes her hair untill he hears from her breathing that she has fallen asleep.

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The next morning he slips out of bed and lets her sleep a little longer, surprised that she is not up for her usual run yet untill he remembers what she had told him that night. He quietly gets dressed and makes his way to the dining hall for breakfast. There, he finds Elrond already eating, though not accompanied by his sons as he normally is. As the dining hall is rather empty, most having already eaten or not up yet, he takes a seat next to Elrond instead of sitting at the head of the table. Elrond looks up, a little surprised that Thorin has come to sit next to him, and bows his head slightly.

"I believe I owe you an apology."

"I rather think your son does."

"I have spoken to him, I believe he will talk with Emma later today."

Thorin nods, not wanting to get into the subject further before he has eaten. "What were your plans for Emma's lesson today?"

"I wanted to see what she can do with a sword."

"Perhaps you can postpone that lesson a bit. She is not feeling too well and I believe something more theoretical instead of physical training would be better."

Elrond's face turns into a worried frown. "Is she ill? Should I send for a healer?"

"I don't think that would be necessary. Just some easier lessons would suffice."

"What does she have then?" Elrond asks, panic trickling through his voice.

"Just…eerm. ..a women's thing, you know." Thorin says, turning the slightest bit red.

But Elrond doesn't see his embarassment through the relief that washes over him. "Aaaah, I see. I will take it into regard."

Relieved he does not have to explain the matter further, Thorin turns to the plate of food that one of the servants has placed in front of him and starts eating. But his relief is short lived:

"Are dwarved women the same as elven women in this matter?"

Thorin looks up. "I have no idea how elven women are, so I can not say."

"Do dwarven women….eeeerm….suffer from it?" Elrond explains his question further.

"I think it differs from woman to woman." Thorin says hesitantly, and he turns back to his plate again, hoping it is clear that he really does not want to discuss this subject further, especially not when he is eating breakfast and trying to wake up.

"Right." Elrond remains quiet for a while, thinking how he should phrase his question so he might get the answer he is looking for. As he is talking to a dwarf, and they are not known for understanding veiled words, he just puts it bluntly: "Should I expect Emma to be extra sensitive and should I act accordingly or not?"

Thorin looks up again, resigning to the fact that he will not be able to enjoy his breakfast peacefully this morning. "I really don't know. We have not been married for that long."

"I see. So will she be doing her other training as usual?"

"I don't think so, but you can always ask her handmaidens." Thorin says, hoping Elrond will actually do that and leave him to his breakfast.

"Thank you, I will do that." Elrond says while getting up, not noticing the barely conceiled relieved smile on Thorin's face.

A few minutes later, Elrond knocks on the door of the royal chambers, and is let in by one of the servants. "Is her highness up yet?" he asks.

"I believe she is getting dressed, my lord. Should I fetch one of her handmaidens for you?"

"Please."

The servant knocks on the bedroom door and Jalila steps out, closing the door behind her. She looks at Elrond. "Yes?"

"I would like to ask her highness if she can join me for breakfast in my chambers."

"Just a moment."

Jalila goes back into the bedroom, and he hears muffled voices. A moment later, Jalila informs him that Emma will join him in his chambers shortly, and he walks back, ordering one of the servants outside his wing to bring breakfast for her highness. He takes a seat in the dining room and waits for Emma, whom arrives 15 minutes later, announced by the servant that is bringing breakfast.

She sits down and he pours her some tea, remembering how she likes it; with a lot of sugar.

"So Thorin told me you would prefer something less strenuous today."

"Whatever you like, lord Elrond."

He almost physically flinches when he hears her call him by his title, but does not comment on it and just nods. "So you already read and speak Sindarin and you have read a great deal of elven books. May I ask how come a dwarven princess acquired such knowledge?"

"Too much free time." She cooly says, and takes a sip of her tea.

"Would it perhaps interest you to find out more of the history of our family?"

"I have already extensively studied the history of my family. It can be traced back all the way to Durin the Deathless, one of the seven dwarf fathers before whom there were no dwarves."

"So you are also of the line of Durin?"

"I married Thorin, so I belong to his family now. His line is my line. Whatever may have been before my marriage does not matter now anymore."

The underlying layer of her words does not go amiss on him, and he hesitates to push the matter further as he does not think he can bear any further rejection. "Perhaps we can study the history of the different elven lords and kings then. Shall we start tomorrow? I would like to talk to you about the battle a little more today."

"Studying the history of elves is fine, but I already told you I do not wish to discuss the battle further. You wanted to know what happened, and I told you. End of story."

"Your husband has told me you have not told the story to anyone else before."

"No, I did not."

"Why not?"

"Because then people will start asking all kind of questions, and it annoys me." Emma says with a sweet smile.

"I see. Elladan will be by shortly to offer his apologies about what he said yesterday."

Emma crooks an eyebrow. "I have already said I do not care for what he think of me; an apology is not necessary. Now please excuse me, I have obligations to attend to."

And with that, she gets up and leaves the room, not giving Elrond the opportunity to say anything more. He looks at her when she leaves. One side of him wants to grab her arm and stop her, demand she stays with him longer. But another side knows she is like a butterfly; lighting one's spirit when coming to sit on your hand, but impossible to keep with you, as its wings break even when held carefully between your hands.

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Emma walks back to her rooms and orders her handmaidens prepare a bath for her. She did not sleep well and just wants to have a hot bath and go back to bed, so that is what she does.

**"Your highness? Emma?"**

Emma hears her name beind whispered softly and opens her eyes, stretching herself with a very satisfied yawn.

**"Hmmm?"**

**"Your brother is here, he wishes to speak to you."** Mina says, still whispering to let Emma wake up slowly.

**"Alright, I will be right out."**

She brushes her hair and puts on a comfortable tunic with matching suede pants and then walks into the antechamber, expecting to see Melo. She is unpleasantly surprised however when she sees Elladan standing there with a face that looks like he just swallowed something very unpleasant.

**"That is not my brother!"** Emma scolds Mina. **"Go get Melo."**

Mina swiftly walks out of the royal chambers, leaving Emma and Elladan standing there.

"Yes?" she asks him in an arrogant tone.

"I have come to apologize for my earlier remarks. I feel it is important that we get along as we will be seeing a lot of eachother for the coming week."

Emma clenches her jaw as she hears the insincere tone the words are spoken in.

"I have not been made aware that we have some sort of appointment in the coming week."

"I believe my father has agreed to you getting lessons about the history of several prominent elven families?"

"How does this concern you?"

"I will be giving the lessons."

"I do not believe you being part of the lessons was agreed upon. Now please leave my chambers."

Elladan smirks. "You have to spend at least one hour per day with us, and you already left early today, so keep our attitude to yourself."

"Not with you, with your father. Now leave before I have you thrown out!"

"You're such a little spoiled brat! You had your whole life handed to you on a silver platter, and now you are just toying with my father's feelings, using him for your amusement while he actually puts time and effort into you!"

Elladan did not see Melo also entering the royal chambers, focussed only on venting his frustrations towards Emma, whom has become more and more angry hearing him rant.

"You have no idea what my life has been like, and no right whatsoever to comment on it!"

"What? Are you going to yell again? Tell your husband and brother to come here to speak on your behalf so you can run away?!" Elladan sneers.

That was a little bit too much for Emma to take and remain calm, and she indeed starts yelling at him, rather loudly for such a small girl. When Elladan starts shouting back about how spoiled she is and how her whole childhood has turned her into an unsufferable entitled bitch, the whole thing turns into a screaming match, and Melo intervenes.

"Lessons are cancelled untill further notice. Leave my sister's chambers." He says coldly to Elladan, and turns to Emma.

**"Are you alright, namad? Should I get you something?"**

**"No, I just can't stand how he drives me mad, Melo!"**

**"I will make sure you don't have to see him again, don't worry. Now go have a walk or read or something. Take your mind off of him, he is not worthy of your worries."**

**"Just get him away, nadad."** she shrugs, and goes back into the bedroom, where she lies on the bed, unable to hold back the tears rolling over her cheeks.

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"My son has informed me Melo has cancelled all lessons with Emma. I don't think I need to remind you what happens if the agreement is not upheld?"

Thorin looks up from the papers he was reading and sees Elrond standing in front of him. He has no idea what the elf is talking about and is growing quite weary with the whole agreement and it's impact on his life.

"I have no knowledge of the agreement being cancelled."

"Then I suggest you find out."

Thorin sighs and gets up, jerking his head at Elrond to follow him. Together they walk to Melo's chambers, where they are announced by a servant. Melo comes walking out of the study, his face darkening when he sees Elrond.

"Did you cancel Emma's lessons?" Thorin gruffly asks.

Melo nods. "I did."

"Why?"

"Because his son keeps upsetting Emma. He even called her an entitled bitch."

Thorin's eyes widen is appalment, and he turns to Elrond, looking at him accusingly.

"I do not believe such a thing has come to pass. I suggest we ask Emma." The elf lord says, but with doubt in his voice.

The three men walk over to the royal chambers and while Elrond and Melo wait in the antechamber, Thorin enters the bedroom. There, he sees Emma lying on the bed, flicking angrily through a book, with dark streaks of make-up on her cheeks. When she sees him, she tries to wipe her cheeks, but he sits next to her and does it for her.

"Melo told me Elladan was rather rude earlier."

She shrugs. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I can't cancel your lessons if you do not confirm it is true, azyungal."

"Do whatever you like, I'm not going anymore." She crosses her arms over her chest and looks away from him.

Thorin wants to say something else, but he is interrupted by angry voices coming from the antechamber. When he gets up and sees what it is about, he finds that Elladan has joined his father and they are talking to eachother in not very hushed voices. He does not know what they are saying and from their tone, he can not be sure whether they are upset with eachother or with Melo.

~" She's being a brat, again, father! Either leave her here or take her with you to Rivendell, but don't hang around here and cater to her every whim! We're better than that"~

But Elladan has not taken into account that if Emma speaks Sindarin, it is very likely Melo does also. The young dwarf becomes redder and redder with anger untill he bursts:

"You think my sister is a spoiled brat?! You think she has had everything handed to her?!"He bellowes, startling everyone present in the royal chambers.

He stumps to the bedroom and grabs Emma's upper arm, dragging her out of her bed before Thorin can stop him. He pulls her with him when he takes big, angry paces back to the antechamber where Elrond and Elladan are still standing, their mouths hanging open with surprise.

**"Let go of me, Melo! What are you doing?! I don't want to see them! Let go!"** Emma struggles to get lose from the iron grip her brother has around her arm, but he is both stronger and angrier than her, and he does not let go.

When he has taken her back to the antechamber, Thorin running after them, he puts her in front of him and holds his tight grip

"You think she has had such an easy life?! That it was all fun and games and everyone bending their will to hers?! Do you think she got these for fun?!" he shouts at Elladan.

When he says it, he pulls up her top, exposing her scarred back to Elrond and Elladan. They gasp in horror and surprise, and tears well up in her eyes by the humiliation her brother is putting her through. She finally manages to break lose from his hold and pulls down her t-shirt. Melo sees the pain and anger on her sister's face, and he knows he has gone too far. When she quickly walks back to her bedroom, passing Thorin without looking at him, he wants to say something, wants to call her back, but he does not know what to say. The silence after she has slammed the bedroom door shut is deafening.

Melo looks at the elves, with a mixture of shame and rage. "If you insult my sister one more time, it will be the last thing you do!" He says to Elladan, and then walks out of the royal chambers, back to his own rooms.

Elladan looks at Thorin. "I-we-I-" But he doesn't get a chance to say what he wants, as Thorin already gruffly says: "Lessons are cancelled." And also leaves the royal chambers.

With a jerk of his head, Elrond sends Elladan away. For a moment he hesitates, but then he walks to the bedroom and softly knocks on the door. There is no answer, so he slowly opens the door a little bit. He does not see Emma, but hears noises coming from the adjoining bathroom.

"Emma? It is Elrond." He says while walking into the room and standing next to the bathroom door.

"I am currently indisposed. Please come back another time." He hears her say in a thick voice.

"Emma, please…."

He hears water splashing and Emma moving around. When is about ready to give up, she opens the door and walks into the bedroom.


End file.
